VELLORE: The Pune-based Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) will soon be developing Automobile Inspection and Maintenance Certification (AIMC) centres at ten locations across the country. The centres, being developed by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, are aimed at reducing emission levels, achieving fuel efficiency and road safety. Disclosing this at the international conference on advances in mechanical, manufacturing and building sciences hosted by VIT University on Thursday, Dr Srikant Marathe, director of ARAI said that the centres will be developed based on the pilot centre at Delhi, which was established five years ago. Besides the centre in Delhi, nine more would be added before the end of the year in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. All centres are expected to function on a public-private-partnership basis.The Government of India has allocated `13 crore to set up each of the centres, which will be responsible for the annual technical inspection and maintenance of vehicles. Certification from these centres will be mandatory to run a vehicle.ARAI will be responsible for raising the centres, developing the software and networking. These centres will test the suspension, engine emissions, brake balance, lights, steering wheel and underbody. According to Dr Marathe, While most countries have made periodical inspection and certification for all types of vehicles compulsory, in India, commercial vehicles alone are subjected to inspection and that too only when registration is renewed. He added that in the UK, around 18,000 test and certification centres monitor around 35 million vehicles and that nine hundred of these centres are run by the government.The ARAI has formed a special team to build these centres, which will have the capacity to inspect 300-350 vehicles a day. The centres will initially inspect commercial vehicles, followed by passenger cars and subsequently two-wheelers.
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