JOIN USCommercial Vehicles: Tracking, tags to be mandatory
Vehicle tracking systems and FASTags for electronic toll collection will be made mandatory for all commercial vehicles that obtain a national permit, said the Indian government on Tuesday.
"Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has notified draft amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, making FASTags and vehicle tracking device mandatory for all commercial vehicles (CVs) obtaining national permit," said the ministry in a statement.
A sticker confirming fitting of the FASTags will be mandatory on the front wind screen of the vehicle, it said. The ministry has invited suggestions and objections to amendments, to be sent to the Joint Secretary (Transport), Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (js-tpt@gov.in) by August 11.
The proposed amendments also allow driving licence and pollution control certificates to be carried in physical or digital form, besides doing away with the fitness certification requirement at the time of registration for new transport vehicles.
The draft amendments stipulate 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.
Fitness certificate
It has also been proposed that fitness certificate of transport vehicles will be renewed for a period of two years for up to eight years, and for one year for vehicles older than eight years.
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 shall be covered by using appropriate cover like tarpaulin or any other suitable material.