Commercial vehicle fitness certification halted in Maharashtra

Fitness certificate issuance and renewal for commercial vehicles has come to a complete standstill across several districts of Maharashtra The situation triggered a major operational and financial crisis for the transport sectorThis disruption follows a directive issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways MoRTH on December 26 2025 which led to the withdrawal of Parivahan system access for manual fitness testing in districts where Automated Testing Stations ATS are operationalAs a result of the directive transporters attempting to obtain or renew fitness certificates at Regional Transport Offices RTOs in adjoining districts are facing systemgenerated restrictions on the VAHAN portal This has effectively blocked the fitness certification process forcing thousands of commercial vehicles off the road and severely impacting transport operations in multiple regionsAdvisor and former president of All India Motor Transport Congress AIMTC Bal Malkit Singh said ldquoThe decision has overlooked ground realities He pointed out that while the MoRTH letter directs the Transport Commissionerrsquos office to submit an action plan for establishing ATS infrastructure statewide only one ATS facility is currently operational in NashikrdquoSingh further added ldquoExpecting commercial vehicles from adjoining districts to travel long distances solely for fitness testing is impractical illogical and economically unviablerdquo He further highlighted that commercial vehicles operate under strict delivery schedules and contractual obligationsSingh further added that commercial vehicles operate under tight delivery schedules and contractual commitments and the current situation is causingHeavy financial losses due to vehicle idlingSevere disruption of essential supply chains including food grains FMCG fuel industrial raw materials and other critical goodsIncreased operational costs fuel wastage and manpower lossesRisk of penal action against vehicle owners due to expired fitness certificates despite no fault of theirsAcute hardship to small and medium transport operators who are already under financial stressEmphasising the urgency of the issue Singh said prolonged disruption in fitness certification could have farreaching consequences for trade industry and public supply systems ldquoThe transport sector is the backbone of the economy Immediate interim arrangements are essential until adequate ATS infrastructure is established across all districtsrdquo he addedThe transport community has urged the Transport Commissioner of Maharashtra to urgently intervene by providing an interim solution issuing temporary relaxations or necessary clarifications on the VAHAN system and expediting the phased rollout of ATS facilities to ensure a smooth transition without paralysing transport operations across the state