RTOs will have tracks for testing 4-wheelers: Maha govt to HC

The Maharashtra government today assured the Bombay High Court it had initiated a process at Regional Transport Offices (RTO) across the state to provide land to lay down road track for testing four-wheelers.
The government also assured a division bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka it would conduct a special drive to check vehicles for the purpose of issuing fitness certificate.
The government pleader informed the bench that process had been initiated to provide land for tracks at 35 RTOs.
Three more RTOs-- Baramati, Osmanabad and Satara-- would get land for this purpose within two weeks, the court was informed.

Hearing a PIL on the issue, the bench took on record the government's statement and deferred the matter for further hearing on January 31.
In August, the high court had warned the government to follow its earlier order of constructing 250-metre road track at all the RTOs in the state to test four-wheeler for issuance of fitness certificates or face contempt action.

The court had asked the government to give an assurance it would construct the track at all the RTOs. The assurance was given today by the Maharashtra government.
The state government had filed an application earlier
stating it would not be possible to construct 250-metre track at all the RTOs citing "unavailability" of land.

However, it told the court today the process for building tracks at RTOs had begun and would be completed soon.
Two years back, the high court had restrained four RTOs -- Latur, Nashik, Pune and Mumbai Central-- from issuing fitness certificates, saying they were not fully equipped to conduct tests required under the Motor Vehicles Act and also they had not complied with its order of February 28, 2014.
The high court had then passed orders asking all the 49 RTOs to maintain necessary infrastructure to carry out the tests.
The RTOs were warned they would be restrained from issuing fitness certificates in case of non-compliance.

Under the Motor Vehicles Act, it is mandatory for RTOs to have road track for testing. The vehicles are made to run at a speed of 40 kmph and asked to apply brakes suddenly. By doing this, the authorities find out at what distance the vehicles stop after applying the brakes.
It is also mandatory under the Act to make the headlight beam adjustment with a machine so that the light does not fall on the face of oncoming drivers. Even this condition was not complied with by the RTOs, the PIL alleged.