Many taxis, auto rickshaws and buses in the city ply without a fitness certificate that deems them fit to ply on the roads; the transport authority recently reduced the fine amount, to encourage drivers to get their vehicles checked for certificates.
The next time you hail a taxi or an auto rickshaw, make sure you ask the driver if the vehicle has the mandatory fitness certificate.
Many auto rickshaws and taxis in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi ply on the roads without a fitness certificate, which is a document issued by the Region Transport Authority (RTA), certifying that the vehicle is fit to ply on the roads. The certificate has to be renewed annually, after the vehicle has been thoroughly checked and examined by RTO officials.
In order to encourage more owners to get their vehicles checked, the RTA has reduced the fines by half. Now, owners will have to pay a fine of Rs 500 within the first 10 days, and thereafter, a fine of Rs 50 per day, until they get they get a fresh fitness certificate from the RTO. The revised fine structure is applicable to autorickshaws, taxis and other commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks.
However, the reduced fines are only for a temporary period. A senior official from the transport authority said, “We have brought down the fines for delayed fitness certificates, and this amnesty scheme will be applicable till October 31 for this year.”
Starting this year, the state government began scrapping taxis that are more than 20 years old. There are more than 4,000 taxis under this bracket. The age limit for autorickshaws has also been set at 15 years. But according to the suggestions put forward by the expert committee, the age limit should be set at 8 years for autorickshaws. This is the same committee based on whose suggestions taxi and autorickshaw unions have been demanding fare hikes.
