PRAYAGRAJ, Jan. 10 -- With effect from January 1, commercial vehicle fitness tests are no longer being conducted in Prayagraj. Vehicle owners and drivers now have to travel to neighbouring districts, Mirzapur or Fatehpur, for fitness inspections. This change has sparked widespread frustration among taxi, e-rickshaw, and other commercial vehicle operators. On Friday, leaders of the e-rickshaw and taxi unions submitted a memorandum to assistant regional transport officer (ARTO) Rajeev Chaturvedi, expressing strong opposition to the decision. The unions have also informed the transport minister of Uttar Pradesh about the issue. Union vice president Raghunath Dwivedi said, "Since January 1, 2026, fitness checks for taxis, e-rickshaws, and large commercial vehicles have been stopped in Prayagraj. Drivers now have to go to Mirzapur for these inspections, causing significant inconvenience." He highlighted that permits for taxis and CNG tempos are valid for only 16 kilometers, typically within city and nearby rural areas. "Taking these vehicles to another district for fitness checks not only violates regulations but also poses serious safety risks. If an accident occurs on the way, who will be held accountable? Will the divisional transport officer accept responsibility?", he asked. Those present during the memorandum submission included Satish Jaiswal, Nankau Mishra, Amik Khan, Rinku Rai, Rajesh Rai, Santosh Yadav, Nishant Rastogi, Bharat Dadu, and Dharmendra, among others. On the other hand, RTO Hitesh Tiwari clarified that the fitness inspections have now been entrusted to a private agency. He added that the facility has started in Fatehpur and Mirzapur, is ready in Pratapgarh, and preparations are ongoing in Prayagraj too....