PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Uttarakhand Taxi Maxi Mahasangh (UTMM) has wrote a letter to chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Ajay Tamta to continue the optional vehicle fitness method. This method allows vehicles to undergo fitness testing either by manual process at the Regional Transport Office (RTO) or Automated Testing Station (ATS) centres. The UTMM requests that this option remain available until ATS centres are established in every district across the State, as per UTMM State President Sunder Singh Panwar.
Talking to The Pioneer, Panwar said that since many times, the fitness testing for vehicles with seating capacities of over six to seven was conducted by an optional method, which includes both the manual process at RTO and ATS centres However, he said that one week ago, the manual fitness testing process at the RTO was halted, despite the fact that the automatic fitness centres have not yet been fully established in various districts of the State.
This has resulted in a number of taxi and maxi cab operators facing both economic and administrative challenges. Vehicle owners, particularly in the hill districts, are encountering significant difficulties due to the distance to fitness centres and a lack of resources. Panwar said that out of 13 districts, only a handful currently have ATS centres. In light of these issues, they have recently sent a letter to the said authorities requesting that the previous option to undergo fitness testing at either the RTO or ATS centres be maintained until ATS centres become available in every district, he said.
Panwar also stated that following this letter, the authorities concerned has assured that action will be taken regarding the mentioned request. He further stressed that the already established private ATS centres are taking advantage of vehicle owners by imposing higher fees for fitness checks. He urged that authorities should address this issue as well.
