(Last Updated On: July 24, 2018)

Proposal to allow e-way bill only if Vehicle is Fit

A task force set up by the GST Council last year [2017] suggested removal of state and national permits, all forms of checks, including road tax, pollution and fitness certificates. The task force was set up to suggest measures for creating an ecosystem for seamless road transport connectivity.
“With the abolition of value added tax and entry tax, there is no need for a permit system to restrict the movement of vehicles in a state… Hence, state permits, national permits can be abolished,” the committee said in its report, which was taken up by the 28th GST Council on Saturday 21.07.2018.

The panel has suggested introduction of a fitness certificate with one-year validity, which would come topped with road tax, permits and pollution checks. It has mooted integration of e-way bill with regional transport data base giving all information about a vehicle, including fitness, pollution and permtis.

An e-way bill may be generated only after the vehicle is found fit as per transport database, called VAHAN, as per the plan

This data base could be expanded to include all details of a vehicle, including pollution under control certificate and national permits.

The ministry of road transport and highways will mandatefitment of Vehicle Tracking System devices using GPS technology on all goods transport vehicles, the report said.

It has suggested that all enforcement agencies record every instance of inspection or checkingand the e-way bill system could be used to create identities for all department to enable them to create verification reports.