NEW DELHI: State transport department officers cannot summon vehicle manufacturers to produce every model for physical inspection before commencing their registration, the road transport ministry has said.

Some states have been following this procedure even though the vehicle models have got the mandatory type approval certificates from the certified testing agencies such as ARAI , CIRT and ICAT , by virtue of which all such vehicles qualify for automatic registration across the country. Moreover, the type approval certificates by these testing agencies are uploaded on the Vahan (details of vehicles) portal, which the state authorities are supposed to refer while registering the vehicles.

In an advisory issued to states on Monday, the road transport ministry said, “The Vahan system provides a mechanism for the inventory of vehicles being uploaded by the manufacturers against valid type approval certificates. Unless and until there are reasons for disputing the specifications of vehicles supplied, the pre-inspection of a vehicle model, already type approved, should not be resorted to as it leads to unnecessary delay and harassment.”

Sources said the amended Motor Vehicle Act has stricter penalties for violation of safety and quality parameters by vehicle manufacturers and the certifying agencies. While the vehicle manufacturers face the risk of paying hefty fines and recall of vehicles, the testing agencies can lose the accreditation for any deficiency.

“These serious measures will act to set the system right, accountable and efficient. One of the major thrust of the amended law is to bring transparency and get rid of corruption in the transport sector,” said a source.

In yet another move, to facilitate the movement of newly manufactured vehicles for export, these will be allowed to ply on road till the port of export. This provision is being made in the Motor Vehicle Rules considering that vehicles need not be compliant with the government rules. For example, automakers are manufacturing BS-III and BS-IV vehicles for export.

“There have been instances of state transport department officials not allowing such vehicles to ply even as these are meant for other countries. The problem is acute in the case of heavy commercial vehicles, which need to ply on road till these reach the export point,” said an official.

