Govt caps late fee at Rs 1k for vehicle fitness certificate

Panaji: State govt has announced a new directive that caps the additional fee for late renewal of fitness certificates for certain vehicles.
According to the notification, an additional fee for delays in renewing fitness certificates will be capped at Rs 1,000.
This fee applies to renewals that occur after the expiration of the fitness certificate but before the deadline of March 31, 2025.“Due to restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, many transport vehicles were off the roads, and now that they are ready to resume operations after two to three years, the accumulated fines have reached several thousand rupees. In response, govt has decided to cap these fines at Rs 1,000,” a transport official said.
Presently, the fee for the grant or renewal of a motor vehicle’s fitness certificate is Rs 200, with an additional charge of Rs 50 for each day of delay after the certificate’s expiration.
The directive, issued under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, specifically addresses heavy goods vehicles registered on the department of mines (DoM) portal, as well as heavy passenger vehicles, medium passenger vehicles and buses that fall under the definition of light motor vehicles.
The decision to cap the late fee is expected to provide financial relief to vehicle owners who may face challenges in meeting fitness certificate deadlines.