Delhi transport department starts automated fitness tests for buses, trucks

The Delhi transport department has started automated fitness tests for buses and trucks, reducing the need for human intervention in the process, a senior official said on Saturday.

The department is also in the process of floating tenders for automated fitness tests for auto-rickshaws and other small vehicles, they said.

"Automated fitness test for buses and trucks...pollution, health of engine and other parameters. #Delhi," tweeted Delhi Transport Commissioner Ashish Kundra.

Explaining the process, Kundra said when a vehicle comes for fitness tests, a device checks its noise levels and a probe is inserted to check the smoke emitted by it.

"High noise levels indicate that there is structurally a problem in the vehicle. There is also a mechanism to check the centering of the vehicle. Its speed governors and headlights are checked as well," he said.

Later, an e-fitness certificate is issued which is valid for a year.

The process of fitness tests for vehicles was earlier outsourced to an agency and it required a foreman, some other workers and then, there was a district transport officer to inspect the process.

This is being done to reduce manual labour and to make the process more precise, Kundra said.

The officer also said that fitness assessment for auto-rickshaws and taxis is carried out manually at Burari, and they are in the process of tendering to shift to automated tests as well.