Representational image. PHOTO: REUTERS
Likewise as in other parts of Punjab, the provision of computerised fitness certificates to public transport and goods transport vehicles has begun in Rawalpindi as 25 certificates were issued on the first day.
Swedish company Opus will provide its services in this regard for 20 years at centre that has been established on eight kanals land near Rawat Police School.
The station manager of VICS Nasir Mushtaq, told The Express Tribune that a state-of-the-art laboratory had been setup with three bases. He added one has been allocated for heavy transport vehicles while other two were for light transport vehicles.
Mushtaq said that the fitness of vehicles would be determined by conducting ten different tests including wheelchair, suppression system, break inspection, undercarriage inspection, tyre measurement, high beam Light, low beam light, fog light, etc after which an irrefutable computerised report would be generated.
“A single fault in any test would term the vehicle misfit,” , he said and added that a new test, which would be free, would be conducted again within a period of two weeks.
The station manager said the fitness examination of online taxi services would begin in the second phase. The system ensures public safety in transport vehicles as well as it would help protecting environment, he said.
He said that the vehicles with additional seats than capacity, altered body to bear more weight and installed with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders would not be issued fitness certificates. The vehicles with pressure horns, excessive smoke silencers, tinted windshields and tattooed windscreen were in same category, he said.
Informing about the system, Nasir Mushtaq said that inspection of a taxi or rickshaw took between six to seven minutes while a bus or wagon between eight to 10 minutes.
The manager said that public transport vehicles with scratched windscreens, broken doors and windshields, dilapidated indicators and headlights would be unable to avail a certificate.
He told two fee structures have been designed for public transport to attain certificates. The first inspection for heavy and light vehicles would be done in Rs.1,169 while delivery vehicles including vans, taxis, rickshaws etc would pay Rs.779. The second inspection of both categories would be done in Rs.585 and Rs.487 respectively, he told.
The fitness certificate would expire after 6 months while unregistered (applied-for) would be given a two-year certificate.
He said that the system was made for the benefit of transporters as well.
It would be one-window operation, he said, and added a test begun once the original registration book, route permit and fee was paid.
He told the any public transport vehicle across the country could avail the service.
He said that there should be a single Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) cylinder in small vehicles and only two in big vehicles while they should be covered with steel as well as company fitted. He expressed those public vehicles which installed CHG cylinders under passengers’ seats would not be issued a certificate.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2019.
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