Automobile Desk: The central government is going to make major changes in the motor vehicle rules with the aim of promoting green fuel in the country and making the transportation system more modern. A new draft has been issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. Under this new draft, it has been suggested to increase the scheduled operating period of vehicles running on electric (EV), CNG and hydrogen fuel by 5 years. Additionally, it has been planned to bring the documents related to National Permit, Temporary Registration and vehicles on a completely digital platform.
The main objective of this initiative of the Ministry is to encourage the use of environment-friendly vehicles and to provide relief to vehicle owners from the complexities of paper processes. The proposed draft clarifies that battery, natural gas and hydrogen powered commercial or personal vehicles can now be allowed to run for longer periods of time than before. However, the details of what will be the maximum limit for different categories of trains will be clarified with the release of the final notification. The government has invited suggestions and objections on this draft from the public and stakeholders within 30 days.
The National Permit System is also being digitized to make the permit process transparent and easy. According to the new proposal, National Permit for goods trains can now be issued directly through electronic means for a period of up to 5 years. Vehicle owners will be able to choose the time limit based on their requirement, for which a fee of ₹ 16,500 per year has been fixed. The current system imposes a limit of 15 years for multi-axle freight trains and 12 years for other categories, which will now be managed entirely through an online portal.
Practical changes have also been made in the rules of temporary registration. Temporary registration of unbodied chassis will now be valid for 6 months from the date of issue. If there is a delay in body manufacturing or the vehicle is stuck in the workshop, the concerned authorities will be able to extend it for a period of 30 days each. At the same time, in case of converting fully manufactured vehicles into adapted vehicles or registering them in other states, the validity of temporary registration will be 45 days.
To strengthen the security and identification system, information like Aadhaar linked mobile number, GST, PAN and Corporate Identification Number (CIN) will be mandatorily linked on the vehicle portal. Data related to vehicle loans, hypothecation and fitness certificates will also be included in the digital database under Form 48. Along with this, auto component manufacturers and R&D companies recognized by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) are also being brought under the purview of trade certificate rules.