SALEM: Lorry owners have announced that goods vehicles will not operate from February 16 in the delta districts of Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai and Thanjavur in protest against the steep hike in Fitness Certificate (FC) fees introduced under the Central Motor Vehicles (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2025. The federation said the delta region was chosen as a large number of old lorries awaiting FC renewal are concentrated in these districts.
State Lorry Owners Federation president C. Dhanraj said the revised fee structure was notified by the Union government on November 11, and 96 days have passed since then without any relief despite repeated representations to authorities and public representatives. “Our woes have gone unheard,” he said.
Under the revised structure, FC renewal charges have been increased to above Rs 12,500 for vehicles over 15 years old and more than Rs 25,000 for those above 20 years.
Earlier, lorry owners were paying around Rs 850 per year irrespective of the vehicle’s age. Dhanraj said the sudden jump in fees has placed an unsustainable burden on operators already struggling with reduced load orders, rising diesel prices, toll charges and mounting maintenance costs.