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1.0 INTRODUCTION
The vehicle population in India is growing at an exponential rate and is fast approaching the 50 million mark. Majority of the in-use vehicles are two wheelers (75%), scooters and motorcycles. There are approximately 5 million cars, 4.5 million three-wheelers, 2 million goods vehicles and over 0.65 million buses plying on Indian roads. The condition and roadworthiness of many on-road vehicles are highly unsatisfactory leading to higher exhaust emissions and road accidents. Moreover, the average life of a vehicle in Indian roads is comparatively higher to that of developed countries, much of the fleet is over 10 years old. Figure-1 shows the percentage mix of in-use vehicles in India.
Emission regulations for new vehicles are being progressively tightened along with fuel quality improvements since 1991 but the air quality in the urban centers show marginal improvements, due to the presence of a large number of poorly maintained vehicles. Since 1996 several vehicles have been mandated to fit emission control devices like catalytic converters but the performance of those devices remains a mystery once the vehicles are on road. It is therefore important to address the issues of inspection and maintenance system in India.
This publication aims to give a perspective of the present inspection and maintenance
practices in India outlining the gaps and scope for improvement in the system.
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