Government given six weeks to check 23 lakh vehicles

The Bombay high court on Thursday granted six weeks’ extension to the state government for conducting checks on 23 lakh vehicles on public roads to determine their fitness in the absence of 250-metre ramps at RTOs. The state also informed the HC about its preparedness to equip 16 RTOs across the state with ramps required for such checks within 12 months instead of 18 months.

A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice A.A. Sayed was hearing a public interest litigation filed by activist Shrikant Karve who is seeking a direction to the RTOs to comply with the court order of equipping RTOs to conduct the mandatory test required under the Motor Vehicles Act to issue fitness certificates to four-wheelers.

During the last hearing, the court had asked state to submit concrete affidavit regarding ramps. Accordingly on Thursday, deputy secretary of transport department, Vidhyadhar Malegaonkar, submitted the affidavit in the court. In the affidavit, state has assured it would construct ramps on 16 RTOs within a period of 12 months instead of 18 months. State also mentioned the names of districts where these ramps are going to be constructed.

The state told the court that it required six week’s time to improve the conditions of RTOs in the state.