Complete Construction of 53 Automated Vehicle Testing Centres in the State at the Earliest: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai, April 2026 : Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed officials to expedite and complete the construction of 53 Automated Vehicle Testing Stations (ATS) in the state, ensuring that vehicle fitness checks are carried out only through registered automated centres.

The directive was issued during a meeting held at the Chief Minister’s official residence ‘Varsha’ under his chairmanship. The meeting was attended by Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Minister of State for Transport Madhuri Misal, Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Sethi, Transport Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar, Deputy Secretary Chetan Nikam, and ARAI Deputy Director Makarand Pathak, among others.

As per the notification issued on September 23, 2023, under Central Motor Vehicle Rule 62, it has been made mandatory from April 1, 2025, that all transport category vehicles must undergo fitness testing only through registered Automated Testing Stations. This move will phase out the traditional manual inspection system.

In line with this mandate, work on setting up ATS centres is underway across the state. So far, seven centres have been completed, while the remaining 37 centres are expected to become operational by the end of August. The Chief Minister also instructed officials to coordinate with other departments to resolve pending issues and ensure that all remaining centres are made functional at the earliest.

Due to delays in completing these ATS centres, the Central government had imposed phased restrictions on access to the ‘Parivahan/Vahan’ portal for certain Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in the state. This had caused inconvenience to vehicle owners and transporters. Chief Minister Fadnavis raised the issue with the Central government, requesting immediate restoration of portal access. The Centre responded positively and lifted the restrictions.

Automated System to Ensure Transparency and Accuracy

The Chief Minister highlighted that Maharashtra currently has approximately 4.33 crore vehicles, of which around 36.80 lakh fall under the transport category. Nearly 9 lakh vehicles require annual fitness testing.

With the introduction of the ATS system, the vehicle inspection process will become fully automated, computerised, and transparent. The reduced human intervention is expected to significantly enhance accuracy and efficiency in fitness testing.

A total of 53 government ATS centres are being established in Maharashtra, accounting for nearly 25 per cent of the 214 such centres planned across the country. The project is estimated to cost around ₹1,035 crore for five years of operation and maintenance, with financial assistance of ₹337.74 crore already received from the Central government.

The Chief Minister emphasised that timely completion of these centres is essential to streamline vehicle fitness testing, improve road safety, and ensure compliance with national regulations.