Draft changes to Central Motor Vehicles rules (CMV) notified, suggestions sought

NEW DELHI, July 17: The Government on Tuesday notified the draft of the proposed amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles CMV) Rules that make it mandatory for all commercial vehicles to have automatic toll-deduction stickers and vehicle-tracking devices to obtain national permits.

The proposed changes to the rules also include carrying of driving licences and pollution-control certificates in digital forms.

The Road Transport and Highways Ministry has invited suggestions and objections from stakeholders to the proposed amendments by August 11.

As per the notification, windscreens of commercial vehicles will have to be affixed with stickers of FASTag/reloadable tags that enable automatic deduction of toll charges at tollbooths.

The draft amendments include additional conditions for obtaining national permit, including prominent display of words ‘National Permit or N/P’, an official statement said.

“The body of a tanker carrying dangerous/hazardous goods has to be painted in white and ought to display the prescribed class label on both sides as well as rear. The vehicle will be affixed with reflective tapes in front and rear,” it added.

The government also decided not to make fitness certificates mandatory at the time of registration of new transport vehicles sold as fully-built vehicles.

“Such vehicles will be deemed to have certificates of fitness for two years from the date of registration. It is proposed that the fitness certificates of transport vehicles will be renewed for two years for vehicles up to eight years old and for one year for vehicles older than eight years,” the statement said.

As per the draft amendments, all carriers will be required to carry goods in a closed body of the vehicle or container.

“If it is necessary to carry goods in open-body vehicles, the goods will be covered with appropriate material like tarpaulin. However, goods of indivisible nature, not capable of being carried in a closed body or being covered, may be carried without cover,” it said. (IANS)