(Image source from: Hindustan)

The Union ministry of road transport and highways has put forward some amendments to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules.

Under the new rules, renewal of fitness certificates for transport vehicles, which are as far as eight years old, would be done biannually while for vehicles older than eight years, the renewal time period would be one year.

"Further, no fitness certification shall be required at the time of registration for new transport vehicle sold as fully built vehicle and such vehicle shall be deemed to be having a certificate of fitness for a period of two years from the date of registration," the draft notification stated.

According to ministry officials, these measures would simplify the transport sector of the regulatory necessitates, help reduce corruption and increase the efficiency of the sector.

In an amendment pertaining to rule 138B, goods carriage vehicles will not be permitted to carry cargo openly. They will now be authorized to carry the goods in a closed body or within covers such as tarpaulin.

"This (carrying goods openly) was a cause of nuisance when vehicles, laden with construction material, garbage etc were moving without covers. The amendment will solve this problem," a ministry official said.

The revised rules also make it effortless for drivers to produce documents related to the vehicle. "Production of registration, insurance, fitness, permit, driving license to the enforcement authorities can be now done in electronic form also," the amended rule 139 stated.

"The citizens are now not required to carry documents in physical form while driving. Although under the IT Act, the document in electronic form was prescribed, enforcement authorities had still been pressing for physical documents. This practice will be done away with," the official said.

-Sowmya Sangam