Mumbai: In a major push to modernize vehicle fitness testing and improve road safety, Devendra Fadnavis has directed officials to expedite the completion of 53 Automated Vehicle Testing Stations (ATS) across Maharashtra.

The directions were issued during a high-level review meeting held at the Chief Minister’s official residence ‘Varsha’ in Mumbai. The meeting was attended by Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Minister of State for Transport Madhuri Misal, senior bureaucrats, and officials from the automotive and transport departments.

Vehicle Fitness Tests to Become Fully Automated

As per the amended Central Motor Vehicles Rules (Rule 62) notified on September 23, 2023, fitness testing for all transport vehicles must be conducted only through registered automated testing stations starting April 1, 2025. This move will phase out the traditional manual inspection system.

Currently, 7 ATS centres are already operational, while 37 more are expected to become functional by the end of August 2026. The Chief Minister instructed officials to coordinate with various departments and ensure that all pending centres are made operational without delay.

Centre Lifts Restrictions on Transport Portals

Due to delays in setting up ATS centres, the central government had imposed phased restrictions on access to the ‘Parivahan/Vahan’ portals for some regional transport offices in the state. These restrictions had caused inconvenience to vehicle owners and transport operators.

Following intervention by Devendra Fadnavis, the central government responded positively and lifted the restrictions, restoring normal access to the portals.

Boost to Transparency and Efficiency in Vehicle Testing

Maharashtra currently has around 4.33 crore registered vehicles, including approximately 36.8 lakh transport vehicles, of which nearly 9 lakh vehicles require annual fitness testing.

The ATS system will make vehicle inspections fully automated, computerized, and transparent, significantly reducing human intervention and increasing accuracy, the Chief Minister said.

Massive Investment in Vehicle Testing Infrastructure

A total of 53 government-run ATS centres are being established in Maharashtra, accounting for nearly 25% of the 214 such centres planned across India. The project is expected to cost around ₹1,035 crore over five years for operation and maintenance, with ₹337.74 crore funding support from the central government.

The initiative is expected to streamline vehicle compliance, enhance road safety, and bring greater accountability to the transport ecosystem in the state.