Pune auto drivers protest additional fee for delay in obtaining fitness certificate

Following the decision on May 7 by the transport commissioner’s office, many transport unions across the state have expressed their anger against it. While some transport unions gathered in front of the Collector’s office on Wednesday, others held a meeting with the transport commissioner and RTO, demanding cancellation or reduction of the fee. The RTOs have started imposing fines in the city from May 21 on those who have failed to obtain the fitness certificate for vehicles older than 15 years.

In 2016, a new amendment in the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA) regarding the fitness fee was introduced, requiring any vehicle coming for fitness certificate to the RTO to pay a fee, with an additional fine of Rs 50 per day for delays. In 2019, another section increased the fitness fee with additional fee for vehicles older than 15 years.

RTO officer Sanjeev Bhor explained that vehicles registered before 2015 would be charged the same amount, but the new amendments apply to those after 2016 and for vehicles over 15 years old. “After the 2016 and 2019 amendments, the amount was hiked again in 2021 depending on the categories of vehicles, but only for those coming for fitness certificate after 2016. For vehicles before 2015, the fee structure remains unchanged,” he said.

In 2017, a bus organisation based in Mumbai filed a lawsuit in the High Court against the additional fee, which was stayed. Later in 2022, a Pune-based auto union also filed a lawsuit regarding the fee structure. However, the High Court merged both cases, stayed the litigation, and upheld the decision to impose fines.

Shafique Patel, head of Azad Rickshaw Chalak Sangathan, called the fine illegal and against the rules. “The court ordered fines based on the 2016 amendment and 2017 litigation, ignoring the 2019 and 2021 amendments,” he said. He added that the RTO responded by stating they have followed the 2016 amendment, which Patel claims ignores the subsequent amendments.