This is part of Gadkari's continued efforts to reform the transport sector. He had earlier been praised as a “sincere” minister by a member of the opposition for introducing the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2016 that sought to address the major issues of the sector. Gadkari received kudos when he directed the officials to complete close to 300 projects with a June 2019 deadline three months early.
In another major reform in the road transport and highways sector under Nitin Gadkari, vehicle tracking systems and FASTags for electronic toll collection will be made mandatory for all commercial vehicles obtaining national permit. The government has come out with draft amendments in this connection.
This is part of Gadkari's continued efforts to reform the transport sector. He had earlier been praised as a “sincere” minister by a member of the opposition for introducing the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2016 that sought to address the major issues of the sector. Gadkari received kudos when he directed the officials to complete close to 300 projects with a June 2019 deadline three months early.
The ministry of road transport and highways had declared 2018 as a ‘construction year’.
Among the other reforms suggested by Gadkari have been advocating the removal of checkposts, adoption digital payment solutions, building of modern bus ports on the lines of that in Vadodara. He had even asked manufacturers to switch to electric vehicles and alternative fuels or get “bulldozed”.
The proposed amendment to implement vehicle tracking systems and FASTags for electronic toll collection also provides that driving licence and pollution control certificates can be carried in physical or digital form besides doing away with the fitness certification requirement at the time of registration for new transport vehicles.
"Ministry of road transport and highways has notified draft amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, making FASTags and vehicle tracking system device mandatory for all commercial vehicles (CVs) obtaining national permit," the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
A sticker confirming fitting of the FASTags will be mandatory on the front wind screen of the vehicle, it said.
The draft amendments also stipulate other additional conditions for obtaining national permit that include display of the words 'National Permit' or N/P in the front and rear of the vehicles in bold letters.
In case of trailers, the letters N/P will have to be inscribed on the rear and left side of the vehicle while the body of a tanker carrying dangerous or hazardous goods has to be painted in white colour and display the prescribed class label on both the sides and rear of the tanker. The vehicle will be affixed with reflective tapes at front and rear.
"The proposed amendment also provides that no fitness certification shall be required at the time of registration for new transport vehicles sold as fully built vehicles. Such vehicles will be deemed to be having certificate of fitness for a period of two years from the date of registration," the statement said.
It has also been proposed that fitness certificate of transport vehicles will be renewed for a period of two years for up to eight-year-old vehicles, and for one year for vehicles older than eight years.
"The proposed amendment also provides that driving licence and Pollution Under Control certificates can be carried in physical or digital form," the ministry said.
All goods carriage vehicles will be required to carry goods in a closed body of the vehicle or container, it said adding, if it is necessary to carry goods in open bodies, goods will be covered by using appropriate cover like tarpaulin or any other suitable material.
However, goods of indivisible nature, not capable of being carried in a closed body or being covered, may be carried without cover.
The ministry has invited suggestions and objections to the proposed amendments, to be sent to the joint secretary (transport), ministry of road transport and highways by 11 August.
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