NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has started the process of revamping its vehicle inspection unit (VIU) in north Delhi’s Burari to create an automated testing station (ATS) on the lines of its state-of-the-art centre for fitness check of heavy commercial vehicles in southwest Delhi’s Jhuljhuli.
Once the Burari centre becomes operational, manual fitness testing will become a thing of the past in Delhi.
As part of the modernisation process, 10 automated inspection and certification lanes at Burari VIU will be created by the transport department on public-private partnership following a build-own-operate- transfer model.
The initiative is part of the government’s aim of reducing deaths and injuries in road crashes by ensuring that there are only skilled drivers and roadworthy vehicles on the city roads. While for the former it has created automated driving test tracks in the city, the Burari centre will take care of the latter.
The transport department issues fitness certificates to commercial transport vehicles every year depending upon their road worthiness. However, the specified fitness parameters are checked only visually as the required infrastructure to check them objectively were not available with the department, an official said.
Around five years ago, the department established a model ATS centre in Jhuljhuli in collaboration with the Union road transport and highways ministry with two lanes for conducting fitness testing of heavy and medium-duty vehicles and two for light vehicles. At Burari, two-wheelers, three-wheelers and light motor vehicles, including cabs, will also be tested.
A private entity will build the centre and also operate it for eight years. Apart from state-of-the-art vehicle testing equipment, a customised “lane management” software for the testing will also be created.
Officials said the fitness tests would be more comprehensive than the current ones. These will include intensive tests of roller brakes, headlight, speedometer, steering linkage, gear, suspension, sound level, side slip, insulation etc. Equipment like smoke opacimeter, onboard diagnostics scanner, exhaust gas analyser etc will also be used.
An official said that with the increasing vehicle population of Delhi, it is essential that the vehicles meet the safety and emission requirements. “The vehicle inspection and certification programme is an effective tool to improve the condition of the in-use vehicle fleet,” he said.
In an overall revamp, the department will not only get a new administration block constructed, but also renovate the building, subject to a structure strength report.
A separate entry and exit with movement plan and direction signage will be created to ensure the area is decongested, apart from creating a designated parking area and internal roads. The CCTV cameras will cover the premises.
Different areas, including emission test and visual inspection areas, electrical panel rooms, sheds, will also be renovated. The department will build more toilets, customer lounge, and a driver lounge near the test lanes. Complete landscaping of the area, along with installation of rainwater harvesting systems and a rehaul of the drainage system, will be carried out.