It’s not how fit you are to drive a car but how fit your car is to drive you around without breaking down in the middle of Delhi’s snarling traffic. A high-powered committee on air pollution has suggested amendment in Central Motor Vehicle rules for reducing fitness age of private vehicles from 15 years to 10 years and also to consider outsourcing of private vehicle fitness to private workshops in the national Capital to curb vehicular pollution and traffic jam on roads in the national Capital.
Earlier, the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) headed by Bhure lal had proposed annual fitness test for private vehicles which is in tune with standards followed abroad such as the UK where an annual test is essential for every vehicle aged three years and above. This radical plan to reduce the number of privately-owned unfit cars from the roads and prevent such vehicles from holding up traffic when they break down in the middle the streets or cause accidents because of mechanical failures related to poor maintenance. As per Transport Department data, there are 80 lakh vehicles, the largest concentration in the country with around 1,300 new ones getting added daily.
“Transport Department to take up amendment in CMV rules for reduction of mandatory fitness age of private vehicles from 15 years to 10 years and also to consider outsourcing of private vehicle fitness to private workshops in addition to other amendments,” said the recommendation of the high-powered committee.
The committee was set up by lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung to check air and water pollution after World Health Organization reports citing Delhi has the highest concentration of PM 2.5 — particulate matters less than 2.5 microns — form of air pollution, which is considered most serious and can cause respiratory diseases and other health problems. Experts say that fit vehicles will ensure lesser air pollution and accidents.
Presently if one buys a new car, a registration certificate (RC) valid for 15 years is given, after which the vehicle has to be inspected and re-registered by transport officials. This RC, as it is commonly called, acted as a fitness certificate. A survey by Assocham in 2012 revealed that nearly 82 per cent of public transport vehicles in Delhi-NCR are plying without fitness certificate, 78 per cent do not have registration certificate, and 79 per cent are running without pollution certificate.