RTOs get 7 months to set up brake test tracks

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Thursday granted time till April end next year to provide 250-metre-long tracks to conduct brake tests of vehicles in all four Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in Mumbai. A division bench of justice Abhay Oka and justice Riyaz Chagla was hearing Srikant Karve’s PIL alleging that RTO officers were issuing fitness certificates to various vehicles without mandatory checks laid down under the Motor Vehicles Act.  

The court in the past had directed all RTOs to provide 250-metre-long tracks to conduct brake tests of vehicles. Initially, the government was reluctant to provide such tracks saying it would be difficult at many places due to unavailability of land. The HC was informed that in 32 districts, the last date to provide such tracks was October 31. On the state government’s request, the court extended time to provide such tracks in Mumbai till the end of April 2018. The court was further informed that various RTOs had taken action against 37 officers for issuing certificates without conducting proper checks.

Earlier, the court was informed that tracks to test brakes had been provided in Panvel, Malegaon and Nagpur, and the one at Malegaon was already functional. 

The court was further informed that the transport commissioner and dairy development authority had already carried out a joint inspection of land at Aarey Colony in Goregaon, and Malvani in suburban Malad. 

However, the Public Works Department (PWD) did not consider the land technically suitable for the purpose. While land parcels in Worli, Kurla and Mulund were also vi    sited for the same purpose.