The state transport department is owed 3,576 crore by nearly 1.8 million public transport vehicles operating in Maharashtra without fitness certificates as a result of their failure to renew their certificates since 2017. Public transportation operators' unions are pushing for a waiver of the fine, but the transportation department is against it because it would create an unfavourable precedent. Officials stated that it is doubtful that the matter will be settled before to the assembly elections.
Public transport vehicles, including cars, buses, taxis and good carriers, are required by law to undergo a fitness test and receive a certificate every year or every two years until they have driven for 16 years. The public transport operators' unions challenged the union transport ministry's 2016 INR 50 daily fee on vehicles without fitness certificates in the Bombay High Court (HC).
Owners of public transport vehicles started avoiding fitness tests in April 2017 when the court stayed the ruling, insisting that the transport department settle outstanding fines first.
In April 2024, the high court lifted the stay, allowing 1.798 million vehicles to be assessed fines of INR 3,576 crore, of which INR 1 lakh was assessed for some cars and taxis.
An official from the transport department said that these public transport vehicles have not been issued fitness certificates since the judgement that increased the penalty amount was stayed in 2017. They have been penalised INR 50 per day as a rule, with thousands of rupees in total still owed. Owners of vehicles will not receive any fitness certificates until they have paid this sum.
The general secretary of the Mumbai Rickshawmen Union, Thampy Kurian, stated that the transportation department's imposition of fines for the entire period from 2017 was unjust and irrational. Even though the current value of their cars is only a few thousand rupees, some auto and taxi proprietors have accrued fines totaling INR 1 lakh or more. Therefore, we have insisted that the fee be assessed as of April 2024, the date the stay was lifted, Thampy Kurian said.
According to him, it is challenging to resolve claims resulting from accidents when there are no fitness certificates.
In consensus, retired RTO officer Sanjay Sasane stated that a vehicle is classified as unregistered if it carries an invalid fitness certificate. Such a vehicle will be prosecuted for a serious crime if it is involved in an accident.
According to officials in the transport department, at a recent meeting, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who also holds the transport ministry, pressed on a penalty waiver for cars and cabs. However, the department disagreed, claiming that it would create an incorrect precedent and result in significant revenue losses. Additionally, the department recommended delaying the collection of outstanding fines until after this year's assembly elections.
Another transport department official said that why are hundreds of private cars in the state operating without fitness certificates, and why are only public transport vehicles doing so? The outstanding fine sum exceeds INR 1,500 crore.
The government has to set up a system whereby owners' vehicles would be automatically deregistered and their auto insurance would be revoked if they fail to renew their fitness certificates within the required time frame.
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