Hyderabad: Around 500 commercial vehicles have been thronging the regional transport authority (RTA) office in the city per day to get their fitness certificates renewed, availing of a fine exemption issued by the state under G.O. 29 on July 14, after massive protests over G.O. 714 issued by the Central government, levying a fine.
The state government decided to roll back a government order (G.O.) issued by the Centre, levying a fine of Rs 50 per day on commercial vehicles without fitness certificates or elapsed ones, providing great relief to around 4.5 lakh vehicle owners.
The fines, levied from February 1, 2020, to October 31, 2021, amount to around Rs 30,000 per vehicle.
Transport unions in the Telangana state welcomed the government decision.
K. Ajay Babu, Hyderabad secretary, All India Road Transport Workers Federation (AIRTWF), said, “Rolling back G.O. 714 brought a relief to 4.5 lakh commercial vehicle owners. If the government had taken the decision earlier, we would have avoided protests across Telangana state.”
G.R. Raju, a motor vehicle inspector at a fitness centre in Trimulgherry, said, “Since this G.O. was issued, more than 500 commercial vehicles, including 200 motor cabs and 150 maxi cabs, are getting the fitness certificate per day. All these days after the ease of the lockdown, there were hardly any vehicles for fitness.”
