BENGALURU: Owners of emission testing centres across the state have alleged that they have been facing operational disruptions, financial losses and lack of technical support since the introduction of new software.
In a letter to the commissioner of the transport department on April 17, the Karnataka Emission Testing Centres Owners’ Association said the government’s decision to replace the widely used software of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) with a private vendor solution has affected them. The software developed by Meru Info Solutions was introduced on April 1, allegedly without adequate trials or consultations with stakeholders.
The operators claimed that the software has been malfunctioning, increasing the time taken for each emission test from 5-10 minutes to 20-30 minutes. The delays, coupled with additional steps such as photo and video capture, have reportedly led to long queues and loss of customers. “Around 25,000 emission tests were being conducted daily across the state. But after the introduction of the new software, the number of tests has come down to around 10,000,” Yogesh, president of the association, said.
Referring to poor technical support, the association said that helplines and WhatsApp groups set up for assistance have been largely unresponsive. With thousands of centres operating across the state, the available support is insufficient to address the issues being faced by them.
The association said problems related to the integration of the software with the national VAHAN database have affected certificate validity updates and access to out-of-state vehicle data, undermining the system’s reliability. The operators also flagged financial concerns, including increased certificate charges, from Rs 3.25 to Rs 13.80, and losses due to system errors such as duplicate certificate deductions and recharge amounts not reflecting.
The association said continued disruptions could force several centres to shut down. It urged the government to either reintroduce the NIC software or immediately fix the software glitches, ensure adequate technical support, and streamline operations to prevent losses.