Bids floated to appoint consultant for automated vehicle testing stations

CHENNAI: With the fitness certificate for vehicles to be issued through automated testing stations (ATS) from October 1 this year, the Commissionerate of Transport and Road Safety has floated bids to appoint consulting services for the preparation of feasibility report and provide transaction advisory services for setting up of 20 ATS under public-private partnership (PPP) in Tamil Nadu.

Additionally, the consultant should also prepare a request for expression of interest, contract agreements, assist the transport department in the bid process management and prepare a bid document.

From October 1, 2024, the fitness certificates for heavy, medium and light goods and passenger vehicles will be mandatorily vetted at ATS to be set up in 20 Regional Transport Offices including Red Hills, Tambaram and Sriperumbudur. These ATSs are being set up after the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways made it mandatory to issue fitness certificate through these stations from June 1, 2025, and later, extended the date to Oct 1.

State Transport Minister SS Sivasankar announced in the assembly that on March 29 this year, ATS would be set through a PPP for issuing the FC for transport vehicles.

After the announcement, Transport Commissioner proposed to set up ATS under the PPP mode in the jurisdiction of RTOs in Red Hills, Tambaram, Sriperumbudur, Vellore, Tindivanam, Salem (West), Srirangam, Thanjavur, Tiruppur (North), Coimbatore (North), Namakkal (North), Erode (East), Dindigul, Madurai (South), Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi Virudhunagar, and also Uttamapalayam.

Total fees to be paid for motorcycles less than 15 years old is Rs 650, for three-wheeler or light motor vehicles Rs 850 and Rs 1,250 for medium and heavy motor vehicles for the fitness certificate. An additional fee of Rs 50 would be levied for each day of delay after the expiry of the certificate of fitness.