Delhi to get 2nd automated testing centre for commercial vehicles

The single automated centre in Jhujhuli is overcrowded, and it takes days to get an appointment for testing

New Delhi

Trucks, buses, smaller pick-up vans, all goods vehicles and cabs, get tested outside Delhi due to crowding. (Archive)

The transport department will lay the foundation and start work on the city’s second automated testing centre (ATC) for commercial vehicles near the Nand Nagri bus depot, in northeast Delhi, on Thursday, officials aware of the matter said. The new centre will add the capacity to test 72,000 vehicles annually.

According to the department, Delhi has around 450,000 commercial vehicles that need to be tested every year, but the current ATC, at Jhuljhuli, can handle only around 200,000. The rest, including trucks, buses, smaller pick-up vans, all goods vehicles and cabs, get tested outside Delhi. The new centre will bring in at least ₹3 crore annual revenue, which currently goes to other states, officials said.

“The single automated centre in Jhujhuli is overcrowded, and it takes days to get an appointment for testing. This forces several vehicles registered in Delhi to get tested and renew their permits from other states. While this is a hassle for the vehicle owners, it is also causing losses to the department,” an official said, on condition of anonymity.

Last year, the Union government made it mandatory for states to set up ATCs to test commercial vehicles to issue permits; this has added to the overload of vehicles at Jhuljhuli. The government also allowed vehicles to get permits from other states, irrespective of the place of registration.

Officials said the new ATC will be constructed in the next two to three months at an estimated cost of ₹2.5 crore and will have around four lanes to test four vehicles simultaneously.

It will include tests of roller brakes, headlight, speedometer, steering linkage, gear, suspension, sound level, side slip, insulation, etc, officials said. Equipment, such as a smoke opacimeter, onboard diagnostics scanner, and exhaust gas analysers, will also be used. Sheds will be created to test different aspects, including emission test, visual inspection and electrical panels.

“Once functional, at least 72,000 additional vehicles will be tested in Delhi. Meanwhile, the Burari centre, which is manual as of now, is also being upgraded. We will multiply our capacity to nearly double within a year,” said the official.

As per law, commercial vehicles, such as buses, trucks and cabs, need to get a fitness test done every two to eight years and then annually. Rules specify that vehicles failing to pass a fitness test canʼt ply. In the case of cars, the test is done 15 years from the date of registration. The cost varies from ₹500 to ₹1,500, depending on the category.