Chandigarh: The first fully automated Inspection and Certification (I&C) centre in Raipur Kalan is still to be made operational even though the building housing the centre has already been completed.“Civic work at the centre has been completed but the requisite machinery and equipment is yet to be installed, resulting in delay in starting operations at the centre,” said a UT official.The project is coming up with central govt funding.The state-of-the-art facility, built at a cost of Rs 14 crore on a 3.5-acre plot, is designed to replace existing manual vehicle fitness checks with a technology-driven, objective system that minimises human error and discretion.
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It will allow automated testing for commercial vehicles that have completed their mandatory 15-year service life. These include taxis, buses, goods carriers, and other heavy vehicles.Under the current manual process, inspections often involve subjective judgement, occasionally allowing poorly maintained or unfit vehicles to receive fitness certificates. The new automated set-up will evaluate vehicles against 23 standardised parameters, covering mechanical efficiency, structural integrity, braking systems, and emission compliance, to ensure uniform, transparent, and reliable assessments. The entire inspection process will be automatic.Vehicles failing the rigorous automated test will be declared unfit and must be scrapped in accordance with the central govt’s vehicle scrappage policy.The project, first approved by the Union ministry of road transport and highways around 2019, faced repeated delays. Originally targeted for completion by late 2022, it missed deadlines in 2023, 2024, and 2025, primarily due to funding issues. Construction is now in final stages, with officials expressing confidence in meeting the April launch.Beyond road safety, the centre is expected to play a key role in improving Chandigarh’s air quality by systematically identifying and phasing out older, high-emission vehicles that contribute to pollution while still plying city streets.Project implicationsCivil construction work has been completed, but testing machinery and equipment are still to be installedThe project is being developed with funding from the central govtBuilt at a cost of Rs 14 crore on a 3.5-acre plot, the centre will replace manual vehicle fitness checks with an automated systemThe facility will conduct fitness tests for commercial vehicles that have completed 15 years of serviceVehicles will be assessed on 23 standardised parameters, including braking efficiency, structural integrity and emissionsThe automated system is aimed at eliminating subjectivity and human discretion in fitness certificationVehicles that fail the tests will be declared unfit and scrapped under the Centre’s vehicle scrappage policy
