CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Transport and Road Safety Department has initiated the tendering process for establishing Automated Testing Stations (ATS) at five locations — Attur, Madurai South, Tiruvallur, Thoothukudi and Villupuram — for issuing fitness certificates (FC) to commercial vehicles.
The stations will be set up under public-private partnership (PPP) model and cater to vehicles registered under 18 regional transport offices (RTOs) across the state. The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made it mandatory, since October 1, 2024, to issue fitness certificates for heavy vehicles only through automated testing stations.
According to official sources from the Commissionerate of Transport and Road Safety, the tender process has begun, and the selected operator will be responsible for constructing, operating and maintaining the facilities for 15 years. The stations will be equipped to conduct fitness tests for heavy vehicles, light commercial vehicles, and two-wheelers.
The 18 RTOs covered under this project are Attur, Vazhapadi, Kallakuruchi, Rasipuram, Madurai South, Thirumangalam, Vadipatti, Usilampatti, Tiruvallur, Tiruttani, Sriperumbudur, Thoothukudi, Tiruchendur, Kovilpatti, Villupuram, Ulundurpet, Tindivanam and Gingee. On an average, RTOs in Tamil Nadu issue around eight to nine lakh fitness certificates annually.
For vehicles less than 15 years old, ATS operators are permitted to charge Rs 650 for light motor vehicles and Rs 1,050 for heavy vehicles as testing fees. In addition, a certification fee of Rs 200 per vehicle may be collected for both categories. The fee structure for vehicles older than 15 years will be announced later, according to official documents. Currently, FC charges stand at Rs 600 for light motor vehicles and Rs 800 for medium and heavy vehicles. That is, the FC charges are to go up by Rs 250 for LMVs and Rs 450 for medium and heavy vehicles, including the certification fee.
Each station will conduct automated tests, including emission, horn, exhaust noise, speedometer, speed governor, side slip, suspension, braking, and headlight tests. The system will also automatically assess vehicle weight, axle load, and other technical parameters.
Sources said ATS operators will use an online checklist based on standard parameters prescribed by the transport department, in line with the Central Motor Vehicle Rules and Automotive Industry Standards norms. “Tenders have been floated, and the technology for vehicle fitness certification has been approved by the government. Construction of the ATS facilities is expected to take six more months,” a transport department official said.