Fitness Test Fees For Vehicles: Driving vehicles older than 15 years is now going to be expensive for owners. The government has increased the fees for fitness test of old vehicles. The government has amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules and now the new rule has been implemented. Earlier the test fee for 15 year old vehicles was almost the same, but now the category has been made according to the age of the vehicle. Categories have been divided into 10 to 15 years, 15 to 20 years and more than 20 years.
Especially for vehicles above 20 years, the fees have been increased up to 10 times. According to CNBC report, the aim of the government is to reduce the number of old and unsafe vehicles on the roads, so that accidents are reduced and the environment also remains clean. These changes have also been made to strengthen the vehicle scrappage policy, where rebate is given on scrapping old vehicles and buying new ones.
Vehicle fitness test fee is so much
Suppose, if you have an old car which is more than 20 years old, now it will cost Rs 25,000 to get its fitness test done. Earlier it was only Rs 2,500. Similarly, for medium commercial vehicles like small trucks or vans, it will cost Rs 20,000, which was earlier Rs 1,800. Apart from this, Rs 15,000 will be charged for light motor vehicles i.e. car or jeep, Rs 7,000 for three-wheelers like auto-rickshaw and Rs 2,000 for two-wheelers i.e. bike. Earlier it used to cost Rs 600 for two-wheelers.
Fees have also increased for 15 to 20 year old vehicles, but this fee is slightly less as compared to 20 year old vehicles. The government says that this increase has been made because old vehicles spread more pollution and increase the risk of road accidents. Every year thousands of people become victims of accidents due to old vehicles. There has also been a slight increase in fees for vehicles less than 10 years old. Under Rule 81, now motorcycles will be tested for Rs 400, light motor vehicles for Rs 600 and medium-heavy commercial vehicles for Rs 1,000. Earlier this fee was even less. But the real shock will be felt by the owners of old vehicles. Especially for small traders, transporters and people from rural areas who drive old vehicles, the burden of these fees will increase.
New rules of scrappage policy came into effect
This rule has been implemented immediately in the entire country. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has implemented it by issuing a gazette notification. Earlier the fees used to be higher from the age of 15, but now it has started from the age of 10. The advantage of this will be that more new and safe vehicles will be seen on the roads. Under the vehicle scrappage policy, if you scrap a 15 year old vehicle, you get a discount of 4-6 percent while buying a new one. By showing scrap certificate, you also get relief in insurance and road tax. The government had planned to open 50 scrapping centers in 2024 itself, which are now working at a fast pace.
There are crores of old vehicles in India, especially bikes and cars. In rural areas where people drive the same car for decades, there are less fitness test centers. To provide relief to the people, the government will have to make the scrappage policy easier. This change of the government is a good step for road safety and clean air.
