Gandhinagar: The Transport Commissioner has ordered a state-wide investigation into a major fraud involving the issuance of fitness certificates for luxury buses, vans, ambulances, taxis, and trucks.

It is learnt that the Transport Commissioner’s Office has directed all RTOs to conduct a detailed inquiry. Similar irregularities had been reported earlier at Automated Testing Stations (ATS) in the state, but this new scam reportedly extends beyond Gujarat’s borders.

As per officials, commercial vehicles need a fitness certificate every two years, or every year if they are over eight years old. The scam came to light when RTOs in Gujarat received an unusually high number of Form 38A submissions, which are needed for the certificate. Normally, if a vehicle is outside its home state, it must be physically inspected there before the home state RTO can issue the certificate.

Investigators found many vehicles submitting forms from other states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh without proper inspections. In one case, a Rajasthan RTO issued a form for a vehicle that was actually in Gujarat. Because the rules require an RTO to issue a certificate once Form 38A is submitted, this loophole was misused, prompting the Transport Commissioner to launch an investigation. DeshGujarat