Vehicle Recall Policy Overhaul: Ministry of Road Transport & Highways Details New Measures

The Rule 126 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 (CMVR) provides that every manufacturer or importer of Motor Vehicle has to submit the prototype of the vehicle (to be manufactured or imported by) for test by the testing agencies specified under the Rules for granting a certificate by that agency to the compliance of provisions of the Act and Rules under CMVR, 1989.

Further, based on the data received from Police Department of States/ UTs, Ministry publishes the Annual report titled “Road Accidents in India”.

The analysis of data from States/UTs reveals that the road accidents occur due to multiple causes such as over speeding, use of mobile phone, drunken driving/consumption of alcohol and drug, driving on wrong side/ lane indiscipline, jumping red light, non-use of safety devices such as helmets and seat belts, vehicular condition, weather condition, road condition, fault of driver/cyclist/ pedestrian etc.

Section 110A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, is related to the recall of motor vehicles. It empowers the Central Government to direct a manufacturer to recall motor vehicles of a particular type or its variants. Accordingly, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways vide G.S.R. 173(E) dated 11th March 2021 has inserted a new rule 127C in Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, which prescribes the procedure for recall of defective motor vehicles and recall notice.

As per data maintained by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), under the Voluntary Recall Code of SIAM, the total number, with class/type of vehicles recalled in the country due to safety defects during the last three years and the current year, are as under:-