Tamil Nadu Motor Transport Federation seeks withdrawal of hike in vehicle fitness certificate fees

NAMAKKAL: The Tamil Nadu Motor Transport Federation is seeking withdrawal of an increase in vehicle fitness certificate (FC) fees announced by the central govt recently. The federation says the revised charges will hit the struggling motor industry. Officer-bearers of the federation met chief minister M K Stalin and commissioner of the transport department R Gajalakshmi in Chennai on Saturday seeking their intervention in this regard.On Nov 11, the Union ministry of road transport and highways issued Special General Regulations (GSR 850) (E) guidelines under the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1989, to raise fees for renewal of fitness certificates for old vehicles. Tamil Nadu Motor Transport Federation president Sella Rajamani said under the order, the FC renewal fee for two-wheelers older than 15 years has been raised from Rs 600 to Rs 1,000. For two-wheelers older than 20 years, the fee hike is from Rs 600 to Rs 2,000. The fee for three-wheelers aged between 15 and 20 years rose from Rs 600 to Rs 3,000, while the fee has been raised from Rs 600 to Rs 7,000 for three-wheelers older than 20 years. Medium goods vehicles and passenger vans aged between 15 and 20 years saw their renewal fee increase from Rs 1,800 to Rs 10,000, while the fee rose to Rs 20,000 for those older than 20 years. The fee rose from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 for light vehicles older than 15 years, and it is Rs 15,000 for those older than 20 years. For trucks and buses older than 15 years old, the fee increased from Rs 2,500 to Rs 12,500 while the fee rose to Rs 25,000 for those over 20 years old."Vehicle owners, particularly lakhs of truck operators who rely on one or two old trucks to support their families, have been affected," Rajamani said.