The end of the road for unfit vehicles? How Nitin Gadkari’s ministry is tightening regulations

As someone who has tracked India’s transport policy and regulatory enforcement for years, it is evident that vehicle fitness testing has long been one of the weakest links in the country’s road safety framework. That may finally be changing. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), under Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, is preparing to crack down on a decades-old system that allowed vehicle owners—particularly commercial operators—to secure fitness certificates without ever presenting their vehicles for inspection.

The ministry’s latest draft notification proposes sweeping amendments aimed squarely at corruption, lax enforcement, and unsafe vehicles continuing to operate on Indian roads. Central to this overhaul is a move toward mandatory geotagged video recording of fitness tests, strict repair timelines, and tighter oversight of testing infrastructure. For commercial vehicles that fail inspection, the message is unambiguous: fix the vehicle within a defined period or prepare for scrappage.

According to the draft, MoRTH has proposed amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, expanding the list of components that must be inspected during a fitness test. The changes mandate a detailed inspection report, supported by at least two colour photographs or a video recording of the vehicle.

Under the proposed rules, authorised automated testing stations or inspecting officers will be required to upload a geotagged video of each vehicle, lasting no less than ten seconds. The video must clearly capture the vehicle from the front, rear, and both sides, with the engine number, chassis number, registration plate, and other identifying features plainly visible.

This requirement directly targets the notorious “managed” testing system—where fitness certificates are issued without physical verification, sometimes even for vehicles that have failed inspection or are not present within the testing centre’s jurisdiction. In effect, MoRTH is attempting to replace discretion and paperwork with verifiable digital evidence.

STRICT DEADLINES AND THE ELV TRIGGER

One of the most consequential changes proposed in the draft concerns commercial haulage operators. Vehicles that fail a fitness test will now be subject to a hard repair deadline. Any vehicle that fails inspection and is not repaired and re-certified as fit within 180 days—counted from either the date of failure or the expiry of the previous fitness certificate, whichever is earlier—will be classified as an End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV).

Once a vehicle is marked as an ELV in the government’s VAHAN database, it is legally barred from operating on public roads. While registering authorities may grant extensions beyond the 180-day window in “exceptional cases” upon payment of prescribed fees, the broader implication is clear: a failed fitness test now carries the real risk of mandatory scrappage.

For fleet owners and transporters, this represents a sharp escalation in regulatory stakes. What was earlier a procedural inconvenience can now translate into the permanent loss of a vehicle.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR PRIVATE VEHICLE OWNERS

Private vehicle owners, by contrast, are likely to view the proposals less as an added burden and more as long-overdue enforcement. Fully built, newly registered non-transport vehicles are deemed fit for 15 years from the date of registration. Beyond this period, fitness testing will increasingly rely on technology-driven, standardised procedures rather than manual inspections.

Fitness tests for light motor vehicles will be conducted exclusively through authorised automated testing stations within the jurisdiction of the registering authority. In regions where such facilities are operational, manual testing of private vehicles is expected to be phased out entirely.

To further reduce the risk of proxy testing, automated testing stations will be equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. The inspection process will only commence once the system scans and verifies the vehicle’s registration number, confirming its physical presence at the testing facility.

TOUGHER PASS–FAIL NORMS

The draft regulations also lay down clearer and stricter pass–fail criteria. High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) will be mandatory, including the third registration mark—also an HSRP—affixed on the windscreen.

Seatbelts must be free from tears or damage and properly secured, with all fittings in working condition. Where applicable, seatbelt reminder systems must also function correctly. For commercial vehicles equipped with vehicle location monitoring systems, compliance will hinge on the validity of the e-SIM at the time of the fitness test.

OVERSIGHT OF TESTING CENTRES

The testing infrastructure itself is being placed under tighter scrutiny. Automated testing centres will be required to install high-definition CCTV cameras with a minimum resolution of eight megapixels, night-vision capability, and 360-degree coverage of the facility.

Video recordings of all tests must be retained for at least six months and made available to law enforcement agencies upon request. This level of surveillance is intended to ensure accountability not just for vehicle owners, but also for testing centres and inspectors.

Stakeholders have been given thirty days from the date of publication to submit objections or comments on the draft notification. If implemented, these changes would constitute one of the most far-reaching reforms in India’s vehicle fitness testing regime, replacing subjective judgment with electronic verification and enforceable deadlines.

REVIVING A STALLED SCRAPPAGE POLICY

The proposed overhaul comes against the backdrop of India’s underperforming vehicle scrappage policy. Originally projected as a cornerstone of cleaner mobility and improved road safety, the policy was expected to create a steady pipeline of ELVs for authorised dismantling.

In practice, adoption has been uneven. Approved scrapping centres and automated testing stations remain sparse in many regions. Incentives for scrapping have been modest, and enforcement has often been lax. As a result, ageing commercial vehicles continue to secure repeated fitness renewals and remain on the road well beyond their economic and mechanical lifespan.

MoRTH’s proposed hard timelines and intensified digital surveillance signal a decisive attempt to move the scrappage policy from intent to execution. Whether this finally cleans up India’s roads will depend on implementation—but the direction of travel is unmistakable.