Mumbai: Maharashtra’s transport commissioner Rajesh Narvekar has begun a high-level probe into a multi-crore vehicle fitness certificate scam spanning at least nine major Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), including Andheri, Wadala, Thane and Vashi in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Preliminary findings suggest fitness certificates were issued to several commercial vehicles by bypassing mandatory norms, potentially allowing unroadworthy vehicles to operate across the state and posing a serious threat to public safety.Senior officials in the transport commissioner’s office told TOI that the probe has already brought 20 to 30 officials from various RTOs under scanner.Narvekar will examine the role of individual officers, the modus operandi adopted to circumvent regulations, and the financial extent of the alleged scam. After conducting a detailed scrutiny, the transport commissioner will submit a final report to the ministry in a month.The initial inquiry has found multiple violations of Rule 62(1) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, governing fitness certification for transport and commercial vehicles. Officials allegedly cleared vehicles despite the absence of mandatory safety and tracking equipment, while in several cases, certificates were issued by authorities that had no jurisdiction to do so.State transport minister Pratap Sarnaik said, “It is a serious issue and strict action will follow. No compromise will be made on public safety. Any official found guilty after the inquiry will face stringent action.”According to officials, fitness certificates that should have been issued by the original registering authority in Maharashtra were instead issued through transport offices in other states. “Some certificates were issued by unrelated transport authorities from outside Maharashtra, making their validity questionable,” said an official.Investigators also uncovered serious lapses in safety compliance. Several nationally permitted vehicles received fitness clearance without the mandatory Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTDs). In addition, some commercial vehicles, including buses, were cleared without installation of the mandatory speed-governing devices.The probe further revealed procedural irregularities in the issuance of Form 38A fitness certificates. Although RTOs are required to act within 15 days of issuance of Form 38A, some approvals were granted far beyond the stipulated period, raising suspicions of corruption and manipulation of the certification process.Irregularities have been detected in RTOs at Andheri, Wadala, Thane, Vashi, Panvel, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, among others, said sources.To plug loopholes, the transport department plans to introduce a uniform and stringent SOP for Automated Testing Stations across Maharashtra, including deployment of Motor Vehicle Inspectors at private facilities to strengthen oversight and accountability.Calling it one of the gravest irregularities to hit the transport department, a transport sector analyst said the scam goes far beyond procedural violations. “This directly concerns the safety of commuters and road users. Unfit vehicles can catch fire, suffer mechanical failures, trigger accidents and endanger pedestrians and motorists alike,” the analyst added.
