In a major relief for the owners of trucks, buses and other commercial transport, the government on Wednesday drastically reduced a key fee that is paid to prove the fitness of vehicles.Instead of the Rs 5,000 fitness certificate fee, owners of commercial vehicles will now have to pay 50 per cent less at Rs 2500.The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways notified the changes today through the Central Motor Vehicles (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2026.The reduced fee structure has come into force.The transition will ease rules governing commercial vehicles, which are required by law to obtain a fitness certificate to show that the vehicle is roadworthy and safe to operate on public roads.A periodic renewal of this certificate is mandated under the rules.The process involves inspection of the vehicle and payment of the prescribed fee.Under Rule 81 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, there is a schedule of fees for various services related to motor vehicles.Under serial number 11A of that schedule, which relates to fitness certificates for transport vehicles, fee entries have been set at Rs 2,500 instead of the previous Rs 5,000 each.This translates into a direct saving of Rs 2,500 per application for vehicle owners.The move will directly benefit owners and operators of commercial transport vehicles, including truck operators, bus operators, goods carriers and other transport vehicle owners who are required to obtain or renew fitness certificates for their vehicles.For small truck owners or individual transporters enduring high costs of fuel, maintenance, road tax and insurance, a saving of Rs 2,500 per fitness certificate application could mean a meaningful relief, officials said.For fleet operators who own multiple vehicles and need to obtain fitness certificates for each one, combined savings would be substantial.The change follows public consultations on a draft of the proposed rule change on January 30.Official sources said the reduced fee has become effective immediately and applies across India since this is a Central government rule valid for all states and union territories.”If someone has recently paid a higher fee before this amendment came into force, they can check with the Regional Transport Office for guidance on any possible refunds,” officials said.Road transport is a major economic driver in India, contributing approximately 3.5 per cent to 4.8 per cent of the nation’s GDP. It handles over 85 per cent of passenger traffic and70 per cent of freight traffic and accounts for 78 per cent of the total Gross Value Added (GVA) within the transport sector. Millions of truck and bus operators — many of them small and medium-sized businesses or individual owner-operators — move goods and passengers across India every day.Regulatory fees, while necessary, add to operating costs. Any reduction in these fees, however modest, reduces the overall cost of business for the transport sector and can positively impact freight costs and, finally, the prices consumers pay for goods.