Vehicle fitness certificate late fee down to Rs 10 in Punjab

Chandigarh, July 17

The Transport Department has reduced the late fee from Rs 50 per day to Rs 10 for issuing fitness certificates to commercial vehicles, including buses, trucks and taxis.

The Additional State Transport Commissioner, in an order issued on July 15, directed the department to correct the software glitch related to the late fee.

Private transporters hail move

Those who couldn’t pay the penalty because of the Covid-induced lockdown had become defaulters in the records of the Transport Department. The reduction in late fee has come as a huge relief. JS Grewal, pvt transporter

The Punjab Small-scale Bus Operators’ Association had flagged the matter, accusing the department of illegally charging Rs 50 per day as penalty for issuing fitness certificates to hundreds of commercial vehicles.

It had claimed the department had illegally collected crores of rupees as late fee.

A Central Government notification to charge Rs 50 per day as late fee was quashed by different courts in 2016 and 2017, but the state Transport Department continued to charge the amount from private transporters.

Meanwhile, JS Grewal, general secretary of the association, has welcomed the department’s decision.

“Those who could not pay the penalty because of the Covid-induced lockdown had become defaulters in the records of the Transport Department. Buses of such transporters were not allowed to ply. The reduction in late fee has come as a huge relief,” Grewal added.