BHUBANESWAR: In a significant step towards ensuring transparency and efficiency in motor vehicle fitness testing, Odisha government on Thursday inaugurated its first automated testing station (ATS) in Cuttack.
The new ATS is reportedly the first facility in the country to be completely owned and operated by the state government. An official of the Transport department said it will conduct automated fitness tests for vehicles, eliminate manual evaluation and ensure unbiased, technology-driven assessments.
The system adheres to the standards set by the Centre and uses advanced technology to assess the fitness of vehicles. As per the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, ATS implementation has been made mandatory for vehicle fitness tests, he added.
Transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur reviewed the ATS operations earlier in the day and expressed optimism about its role in enhancing road safety. Apart from Thakur, principal secretary of the Transport department Usha Padhee, additional transport commissioners Dipti Ranjan Patra and Lalmohan Sethi, and joint transport commissioner Samarendra Pattnaik were present during certificate issuance at the ATS in Cuttack RTO.
The state government has planned to establish 21 more such facilities in various RTOs including Boudh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Kendrapara, Sundargarh, Nayagarh, Nabarangpur, Ganjam, Sambalpur, Balasore, Koraput, Nuapada, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj, Rourkela, Keonjhar, Angul and Bhubaneswar RTO-II along with an additional ATS in Cuttack by 2026, said sources.
The automated process will eliminate unfit vehicles from the roads and significantly reduce the risk of road accidents, said the Transport department. It asserted that the new initiative would contribute to a safer transportation ecosystem.
Earlier, fitness certificates and vehicle registration renewals required manual inspections by the designated officials. However, Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act mandated ATS-based inspections.