Delhi auto fitness tests have remained halted at the automatic testing centre in Burari for about a week, leaving thousands of auto-rickshaw drivers unable to obtain fitness certificates and exposing them to fines and traffic challans, according to a report by Jagran – New Delhi.
The disruption follows the inclusion of auto-rickshaws in the fitness-testing process at the Burari automatic testing centre. With certificates reportedly not being issued, drivers whose vehicles lack valid fitness certification are facing difficulties while operating on Delhi’s roads. The report states that traffic police are issuing challans to some drivers during checks.
The immediate issue is not only the testing of vehicles but also the transition from the earlier manual process. Before the new arrangement, fitness inspectors of the Delhi Transport Department manually examined auto-rickshaws and issued fitness certificates. According to Upendra Singh, general secretary of the Aapka Apna Auto Taxi Union, that process was disrupted after the new system was introduced.
Singh has written to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, seeking government intervention. The union has asked the authorities to allow manual fitness inspections to continue until the automatic testing centre is able to provide a functioning arrangement for auto-rickshaws.
Fitness certification is a regulatory requirement for commercial vehicles and is intended to establish whether they are fit to operate on public roads. For drivers, however, the certification process is also linked directly to their ability to keep working without penalties. A delay at the testing stage can therefore convert an administrative problem into a financial burden, particularly when enforcement continues on the road.
The Burari episode highlights the operational risk involved when a transport department shifts a large group of commercial vehicles to a new testing system without a functioning interim mechanism. The report does not provide details of the technical or administrative reason for the stoppage, nor does it state when the automatic centre will resume issuing certificates.
The union has said that drivers are facing unnecessary fines and financial losses because they cannot complete the required certification process. It has asked the government to issue instructions to transport officials permitting manual inspections until the automatic system is properly arranged.
The next step sought by the union is a decision from the Chief Minister’s Office and the Transport Department on whether manual testing will be restored temporarily. Until such directions are issued or the Burari centre resumes auto-rickshaw fitness certification, affected drivers remain exposed to continued compliance difficulties and enforcement action.
