Delhi govt to jail, fine drivers upto Rs 10,000 for plying unfit vehicles in the capital

All private and government vehicle owners and drivers, including public service vehicles, buses and cabs of schools and colleges, need to have a valid vehicle fitness certificate, as reported by PTI.

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Delhi Transport department warns owners and drivers of private as well as government vehicles a fine of Rs 10,000 along with imprisonment if found driving without a valid fitness certificate of the vehicle. The move comes after the department found that many such vehicles were found plying without valid fitness certificates in violation of the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act.

The enforcement teams have been asked to keep looking for such vehicles on the roads and soon a drive will be launched to catch the violators, said a senior officer of the Delhi government's Transport department.

"It has been observed by the Transport department that many owners or drivers, including transport vehicles belonging to government departments, local bodies, and public sector units, are plying transport vehicles without valid fitness certificate which is a gross violation of The Motor Vehicles (MV) Act, 1988 and rules framed there under," said a public notice recently issued by the Transport department.

All vehicle owners and drivers, including those using public service vehicles, goods carriage vehicles, buses, and cabs of schools and colleges, need to have a valid vehicle fitness certificate.

According to section 56 of the MV Act, a transport vehicle is not deemed to be validly registered unless it carries a valid certificate of fitness issued by the Transport department of the Delhi government, said the notice.

Such transport vehicles are not eligible to ply on the roads till the fitness certificate is obtained. According to rule 62 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, the fitness certificate is valid for a period of two years for vehicles up to eight years old and one year for vehicles older than eight years.

The owners and drivers plying transport vehicles without valid fitness certificates attract a fine of Rs 2,000-5,000 for the first offence and Rs 5,000- 10,000 for the second and any subsequent offence. In such cases, there is also a provision of imprisonment of the owner or driver, the notice said.

The fitness certificate for e-rickshaws and e-carts is valid for 3 years. Further, according to rule 81 of Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, there is a provision for an additional levy of Rs 50 for each day of delay after the expiry of the fitness certificate, it said.

Also, according to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, the fee for renewal of the certificate of registration is required to be paid by the owner of such vehicles, as the vehicle is not deemed to be registered on account of the expiry of the fitness certificate. 

(With inputs from PTI)