The Hindu : State opposes Central move on CF test

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 14, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

State opposes Central move on CF test

By S. Anil Radhakrishnan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH. 13. The State Government has objected to the proposal mooted by the Union Government to introduce mandatory Certificate of Fitness (CF) test for non-transport vehicles every year on the lines of the prevailing CF test for transport vehicles in the country.

The proposal has been mooted by the Centre on the basis of a suggestion put forward by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the apex industry body representing 35 leading vehicle and vehicular engine manufacturers in the country.

SIAM has come up with the proposal with a view to curbing the mounting road accidents in the country and checking the pollution from non-transport vehicles.

The society has made it known that it is ready to provide the CF test through its dealer points spread across the country. SIAM has pointed out that such a system is already in place in developed countries such as the United Kingdom and Sweden.

The Committee for Inspection and Certification System for Indian Vehicles Administration and Policy Issues headed by the Transport Commissioner of West Bengal and another technical committee are examining the proposal, which would have far-reaching consequences. A top official of the Motor Vehicles Department and member of the committee told The Hindu that the proposal mooted by SIAM was aimed at privatising the CF test now being carried out by Motor Vehicle Inspectors and Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspectors of the department in all the 28 States of the country.

"The proposal has been opposed tooth and nail by Kerala as it needs more personnel and infrastructure. The entrusting of the CF test to dealers of automobile manufacturers will fail to achieve the desired results such as curbing road mishaps and pollution from non-transport vehicles," he said.

Only 20 per cent of the non-transport vehicles cause pollution and studies have shown that 95 per cent of road accidents are caused by human error and only the remaining five per cent are due to a host of factors like condition of the vehicle. The argument of SIAM that introduction of the CF test for non-transport vehicles would check accidents and pollution is not true. The only effective way is strict enforcement of rules, he said.

Besides, the State has also pointed out that entrusting the CF test to the automobile dealers and other private parties would result in lack of Government control over them. The problems faced on account of handing over driving schools and emission testing centres to the private sector are solid proof to this, he said.

At present, transport vehicles such as stage carriers and lorries would have to undergo the CF test every year after the first two years of registration and non-transport vehicles such as private cars and motorcycles after 15 years of registration. As many as 60 per cent of the 50 million vehicles registered in the country are non-transport vehicles.

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