The State Government will formulate an Automated Testing Station (ATS) policy soon.

Commerce & Transport Principal Secretary Bishnupada Sethi has directed the department to ask the Transport Commissioner to draft the policy as soon possible, sources said.

Meanwhile, the Government of India has made fitness testing of vehicles through Automated Testing Stations (ATSs) mandatory in a phased manner starting from April 2023.

Accordingly, ATSs will also be set up in Odisha to check fitness of old vehicles. Before finalising a tender for selection of operators for the proposed ATSs, the Transport Department is going to frame an ATS policy.

The State Government is planning to set up ATSs at five locations. The Inspection & Certification Centre at Arilo, Cuttack is also likely to be converted to an ATS.

Notably, the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry is going to make fitness testing for heavy goods vehicles and heavy passenger motor vehicles through an ATS mandatory from April 1, 2023.

In the case of medium goods vehicles, medium passenger motor vehicles and light motor vehicles (transport), the requirement will be made compulsory from June 1, 2024.

An ATS uses mechanical equipments to automate the various tests required to check the fitness of a vehicle. Fitness testing for personal vehicles (non-transport) is done at the time of renewal of registration (after 15 years).

The Ministry has also asked the State Government to announce a State-level policy for Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF). The Government of India has already launched a similar policy at the national level.

The State Transport Department has also initiated a process to draft the policy, under which incentives will be provided to both the vehicle owners to scrap their vehicles and the investors to set up RVSFs.