The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : State bags vehicle fitness testing centre

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Saturday, Jun 27, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

State bags vehicle fitness testing centre

Suresh Krishnamoorthy

Only Gurgaon, Pune have the facility

Estimated to cost Rs. 3.5 crores, it will be funded by Centre
Experts from ARAI, Pune will handle equipment, provide tech support

HYDERABAD: The State capital is one of the three places chosen for locating a state-of-the-art vehicle fitness testing centre, after Gurgaon and Pune.

Estimated to cost Rs. 3.5 crore and to be funded by the Government of India, it will have advanced computerised equipment, including meters to test the efficacy of brakes, headlights, side-slip, chassis, axle, noise and pollution, apart from undercarriage inspection.

Expert help

Additional Transport Commissioner CLN Gandhi said that initially, experts of the Automobile Research Association of India, Pune will be handling the equipment and provide tech support for the three years after which it would handed to the Transport Department.

Personnel of the Transport Department though will handle administration and process functions like collection of testing fees, inspection and certification.

School buses seized

Mr. Gandhi said that following the seizure of 30 school buses in Warangal district alone, for not having valid fitness certificates, the department had decided to extend the special drive to other districts in the State too.

On Thursday alone, apart from the seizure of the buses, cases were registered and notices issued to the owners of 100 more buses, for non-compliance with mandatory rules.

Among the rules stipulated by the Supreme Court, all buses used for ferrying school children are required to be painted in yellow, should have an attendant, apart from having a driver not older than 50 years of age and other conditions.

Protest

Enraged by the drive, bus operators staged a protest and lodged a complaint with the District Collector. When he asked Transport officers here and was informed of the safety aspects, he promptly asked the operators to comply with the rules.

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Andhra Pradesh