LUCKNOW, Aug. 31 -- In a move aimed at strengthening road safety, transparency and pollution control, the Uttar Pradesh transport department has issued final registration certificates (RCs) to four new automated testing stations (ATS), including one in Lucknow, taking the total number of operational ATSs in the state to 14. The newly approved ATS are AKRS ATS Pvt Ltd (Lucknow), Sharp-N-India with Triplea Tech Integrator (Agra), Air Sales Corporation (Kanpur Nagar) and Mamta Hygiene Products Pvt Ltd (Mirzapur). "With these additions, ATS are now functional in 14 districts, including Firozabad, Bijnor, Jhansi, Moradabad, Kanpur Dehat, Varanasi, Bareilly, Fatehpur, Rampur, Lucknow, Agra, Kanpur Nagar, Moradabad and Mirzapur," transport commissioner BM Singh said. As per the standard operating procedure (SOP), a maximum of three ATS can be set up in any district, and one applicant can operate up to three across the state. Each ATS must have at least two lanes-one for light vehicles and another for medium/heavy vehicles-on a minimum two-acre plot. Testing of vehicles is fully automated, CCTV-monitored and digitally integrated with systems such as AFMS, VAHAN, and eChallan to ensure transparency and efficiency. "The expansion of the ATS network is a strong symbol of the state's commitment to road safety. Automated, camera-based fitness testing ensures citizens get reliable services, while the state benefits from better compliance and monitoring," Singh said. Officials claim the ATS system eliminates human error and discretion in vehicle-fitness tests, provides fast and transparent services to citizens, and supports pollution-control targets....