Govt hikes fitness test fee for over 20-year-old motor vehicles
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New Delhi (PTI): Months after the government increased renewal charges for older vehicles, the transport ministry has raised the fitness test fee for motor vehicles older than 20 years to discourage people from keeping them.
The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), in a latest notification issued on November 11, has said the higher fee slabs now begin from 10 years for commercial vehicles instead of 15 years, bringing more vehicles under the updated cost brackets.
It has created three clear age groups for fitness testing: 10-15 years, 15-20 years and above 20 years.
According to the notification, the renewal fee for light motor vehicles (LMVs) older than 20 years has been increased to Rs 15,000 from Rs 10,000.
The notification has made steep revisions to the fitness test fee for heavy trucks and buses older than 20 years. They will now have to pay Rs 25,000 for the fitness test, from Rs 3,500 earlier.
Medium commercial vehicles in the same age group will now have to pay Rs 20,000, and the fitness test of light motor vehicles above 20 years will cost Rs 15,000.
The fitness test fee for two-wheelers above 20 years has also been increased to Rs 2,000 from Rs 600 earlier.
The transport ministry, in its earlier notification in August this year, increased renewal charges for older vehicles.
In August, the Supreme Court ordered authorities not to take coercive action against the owners of diesel vehicles that are more than 10 years old and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in the Delhi-NCR.
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Attack on Indian-flagged merchant ship off Oman coast unacceptable: MEA
New Delhi (PTI): An Indian-flagged commercial vessel has come under attack off the coast of Oman but all its 14 crew members are safe, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.
It is not immediately known who carried out the strike on the vessel on Wednesday.
The MEA described the attack as "unacceptable".
"The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted," it said.
"All Indian crew on board are safe and we thank the Omani authorities for rescuing them," it said.
The MEA said India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided.
The vessel was sailing from Somalia and the strike triggered a fire that led to sinking of the vessel, it is learnt.
The crew members were rescued by Oman's Coast Guard and taken to Diba port.
At least two other Indian-flagged ships have been attacked since the war between the US and Iran began on February 28.
The latest attack came amid the fragile security situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
