India has a Killer Commercial Vehicles problem: Led to more than 70k deaths

India has lately seen a sharp increase in accidents involving unfit commercial vehicles, with nearly 40 percent of the 1.94 lakh road fatalities in FY 2022-23 attributed to such vehicles. A significant factor contributing to these deaths is the issuance of fraudulent fitness certificates to unfit vehicles. In response, Dr. Kamal Soi, Chairman of Raahat Foundation, has urged the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to overhaul the country’s vehicle testing system.

He highlighted the importance of establishing automated testing stations, as outlined in the 2021 government notification, to address this critical issue.
Highlighting the gravity of the issue, the appeal read, “Unfit commercial vehicles have become a significant factor in road accidents, turning the vehicle fitness certification process into a multi-billion dollar corruption industry.”
To expose these practices, the foundation conducted a pilot study across several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, and Rajasthan, revealing widespread irregularities in the issuance of fitness certificates.

Key findings from the study show that many unfit vehicles are being granted fitness certificates without proper inspection, with some testing centres issuing these certificates by merely taking pictures and feeding data manually into the system. The study also uncovered collusion between local RTO agents and testing centres, allowing unfit vehicles to operate on public roads, contributing significantly to road accidents and economic losses.

Despite MoRTH’s 2021 directive to establish Automated Testing Stations (G.S.R 652(E) dated 23.09.2021) to ensure the integrity of vehicle fitness evaluations, many states have failed to comply, allowing unauthorised testing centres to continue issuing fitness certificates under questionable circumstances.
The foundation is calling for MoRTH to direct all states and union territories to comply with the 2021 notification and establish Automated Testing Stations as mandated. Additionally, he recommends strict actions against non-compliant testing centres, including revoking their authorization.