Lack of equipment hits Motor Vehicles Department

KOCHI: The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) lacks  state-of-the-art machinery to check advanced equipment installed in the pollution control units across the city. According to the MVD officials, the inspection of most of the pollution control units has turned into a mere gimmick. In addition, the MVD officials also lack training to deal with the new software used in the machines.The MVD provides validity for the machines used in the pollution control units for five years. After which, the machines need to be rechecked. However, this is not happening as the MVD does not have innovative machinery to check the updated machines at he pollution control unit, said an official. “The machines with the department were installed years back and are not serving the purpose. Owing to this, the officials cannot inspect the machines properly. Moreover, most of the pollution control units are not adhering to the prescribed norms for checking a vehicle,“ the MVD official said.“Usually, minimum of an hour is needed to check a vehicle. But now it takes a few seconds. It is also not necessary to produce the vehicle for the inspection any more as a fitness certificate can be easily procured,” he added. Ernakulam RTO T J Thomas confirmed that the department has been getting frequent complaints against the pollution control units. “It is the long procedure involved which has become one of the main causes for violation of norms. In order to do away with it, the only alternative is to reduce the time taken for the check,” he opined.Another major stumbling block is that the department officials are unable to match the pace of the recent technological developments. Most of the pollution control units have advanced software. “To check the updated software installed in the machines, we need to be trained at it. This is also not happening. Though the Central government has been conducting training programmes in many parts of the country, we are not able to attend them,” the official said.