Rajamahendravaram: Leaders of the Transport Workers’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) have accused the Andhra Pradesh government of imposing stringent new rules that are creating severe inconvenience to vehicle owners and drivers across the state. They particularly raised concerns over the privatised fitness (brake) tests being conducted at Automated Testing Stations (ATS), claiming these are causing damage to vehicle engines and escalating costs for transporters.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, JAC leaders including INTUC District President Vasamsetty Gangadhara Rao, former Deputy Mayor Bolisetti Satyanarayana Prasad, and Ambedkar Konaseema District President Vasamsetty Sattiraju, said that fitness tests, which were earlier conducted by Motor Vehicle Inspectors (MVIs) under the Transport Department, have now been handed over to private ATS centres, resulting in increased online challan fees and time wastage.

Currently, the East Godavari district has only one ATS centre located in Rajanagaram. The leaders pointed out that the centre charges Rs 400 for heavy vehicles and Rs 200 for light vehicles as testing fees. Additionally, owners are required to pay Rs 1,320 for heavy vehicles and Rs 920 for light vehicles through online challans. Even after making these payments, vehicle owners are being forced to wait over six hours at the testing centre, with results taking up to a week to be released. Until then, vehicles cannot legally operate on roads, creating further disruptions.

They criticised the state government for blindly implementing a system introduced by the Central government, noting that it has already faced opposition from transport unions in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Karnataka.

However, in Gujarat, vehicle owners are allowed to get their fitness tests done either at ATS centres or directly through MVIs an option the JAC wants replicated in Andhra Pradesh to safeguard the transport sector.

The leaders announced that a peaceful protest would be organized on July 1 at the Rajanagaram ATS centre, demanding immediate policy revision. As part of this protest, a transport strike will be observed from 8 am to 2 pm on that day. They also warned of exposing corruption allegedly taking place in the ATS centres.

Urging the ruling coalition government to reconsider the current fitness testing policy, the JAC demanded relief for lorry owners, small car operators, auto drivers, and minivan owners suffering due to the new system.