The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988

(1) Every motor vehicle shall be so constructed and so maintained as to be at all times under the effective control of the person driving the vehicle.

(2) Every motor vehicle shall be so constructed as to have right hand steering control unless it is equipped with a mechanical or electrical signalling device of a prescribed nature.

¹[(3) If the Central Government is of the opinion that it is necessary or expedient so to do in the public interest, it may by order published in the Official Gazette, notify that any article or process used by a manufacturer shall conform to such standard as may be specified in that order.]

(1) The Central Government may make rules regulating the construction, equipment and maintenance of motor vehicles and trailers with respect to all or any of the following matters, namely:—

(a) the width, height, length and overhang of vehicles and of the loads carried;

²[(b) the size, nature, maximum retail price and condition of tyres, including embossing thereon of date and year of manufacture and the maximum load carrying capacity;]

(c) brakes and steering gear;

(d) the use of safety glasses including prohibition of the use of tinted safety glasses;

(e) signalling appliances, lamps and reflectors;

(f) speed governors;

(g) the emission of smoke, visible vapour, sparks, ashes, grit or oil;

(h) the reduction of noise emitted by or caused by vehicles;

(i) the embossment of chassis number and engine number and the date of manufacture;

(j) safety belts, handle bars of motor cycles, auto-dippers and other equipments essential for safety of drivers, passengers and other road users;

(k) standards of the components ³[including software] used in the vehicle as inbuilt safety devices;

(l) provision for transportation of goods of dangerous or hazardous nature to human life;

(m) standards for emission of air pollutants;

⁴[(n) installation of catalytic convertors in the class of vehicles to be prescribed;

(o) the placement of audio-visual or radio or tape recorder type of devices in public vehicles;

(p) warranty after sale of vehicle and norms therefor:]

Provided that any rules relating to the matters dealing with the protection of environment, so far as may be, shall be made after consultation with the Ministry of the Government of India dealing with environment.

(2) Rules may be made under sub-section (1) governing the matters mentioned therein, including the manner of ensuring the compliance with such matters and the maintenance of motor vehicles in respect of such matters, either generally in respect of motor vehicles or trailers or in respect of motor vehicles or trailers of a particular class or in particular circumstances ³[and such rules may lay down the procedure for investigation, the officers empowered to conduct such investigations, the procedure for hearing of such matters and the penalties to be levied thereunder.]

³[(2A) Persons empowered under sub-section (2) to conduct investigations referred to in sub-section (2) shall have all the powers of a civil court, while trying a suit under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908) in respect of the following matters, namely:—

(a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath;

(b) requiring the discovery and production of any document;

(c) receiving evidence on affidavit; and

(d) any other matter as may be prescribed.]

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section,—

(a) the Central Government may exempt any class of motor vehicles from the provisions of this Chapter;

(b) a State Government may exempt any motor vehicle or any class or description of motor vehicles from the rules made under sub-section (1) subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

(1) The Central Government may, by order, direct a manufacturer to recall motor vehicles of a particular type or its variants, if—

(a) a defect in that particular type of motor vehicle may cause harm to the environment or to the driver or occupants of such motor vehicle or other road users; and

(b) a defect in that particular type of motor vehicle has been reported to the Central Government by—

(i) such percentage of owners, as the Central Government, may by notification in the Official Gazette, specify; or

(ii) a testing agency; or

(iii) any other source.

(2) Where the defect referred to in sub-section (1) lies in a motor vehicle component, the Central Government may, by order, direct a manufacturer to recall all motor vehicles which contain such component, regardless of the type or variants of such motor vehicle.

(3) A manufacturer whose vehicles are recalled under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), shall—

(a) reimburse the buyers for the full cost of the motor vehicle, subject to any hire-purchase or lease-hypothecation agreement; or

(b) replace the defective motor vehicle with another motor vehicle of similar or better specifications which complies with the standards specified under this Act or repair it; and

(c) pay such fines and other dues in accordance with sub-section (6).

(4) Where a manufacturer notices a defect in a motor vehicle manufactured by him, he shall inform the Central Government of the defect and initiate recall proceedings and in such case the manufacturer shall not be liable to pay fine under sub-section (3).

(5) The Central Government may authorise any officer to conduct investigation under this section who shall have all the powers of a civil court, while trying a suit under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908) in respect of the following matters, namely:—

(a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath;

(b) requiring the discovery and production of any document;

(c) receiving evidence on affidavit; and

(d) any other matter as may be prescribed.

(6) The Central Government may make rules for regulating the recall of motor vehicles, of a particular type or its variants, for any defect which in the opinion of the Central Government, may cause harm to the environment or to the driver or occupants of such motor vehicle or to other road users.

(1) No motor vehicle, including a trailer or semi-trailer or modular hydraulic trailer or side car shall be sold or delivered or offered for sale or delivery or used in a public place in India unless a type-approval certificate referred to in sub-section (2) has been issued in respect of such vehicle:

Provided that the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, extend the requirement of type-approval certificate to other vehicles drawn or intended to be drawn by a motor vehicle:

Provided further that such certificate shall not be required for vehicles which are—

(a) intended for export or display or demonstration or exhibition; or

(b) used by a manufacturer of motor vehicles or motor vehicle components or a research and development centre or a test by agency for testing and validation or for data collection, inside factory premises or in a non-public place; or

(c) exempted by the Central Government.

(2) The manufacturer or importer of motor vehicles including trailers, semi-trailers, modular hydraulic trailers and side cars shall submit the prototype of the vehicle to be manufactured or imported for test to a testing agency for obtaining a type-approval certificate by such agency.

(3) The Central Government shall make rules for the accreditation, registration and regulation of testing agencies.

(4) The testing agencies shall conduct tests on vehicles drawn from the production line of the manufacturer or obtained otherwise to verify the conformity of such vehicles to the provisions of this Chapter and the rules and regulations made thereunder.

(5) Where the motor vehicle having a type-approval certificate is recalled under section 110A, the testing agency which granted the certificate to such motor vehicle shall be liable for its accreditation and registration to be cancelled.]

(1) A State Government may make rules regulating the construction, equipment and maintenance of motor vehicles and trailers with respect to all matters other than the matters specified in sub-section (1) of section 110.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, rules may be made under this section governing all or any of the following matters either generally in respect of motor vehicles or trailers or in respect of motor vehicles or trailers of a particular class or description or in particular circumstances, namely:—

(a) seating arrangements in public service vehicles and the protection of passengers against the weather;

(b) prohibiting or restricting the use of audible signals at certain times or in certain places;

(c) prohibiting the carrying of appliances likely to cause annoyance or danger;

(d) the periodical testing and inspection of vehicles by prescribed authorities ¹[and fees to be charged for such test];

(e) the particulars other than registration marks to be exhibited by vehicles and the manner in which they shall be exhibited;

(f) the use of trailers with motor vehicles; and

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