The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), has issued a draft notification dated May 21, 2021, namely, Draft Central Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 2021[1], to further amend the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989.
The Draft notification proposes new tyre norms which would be incorporated as a part of the Automotive Indian Standards (AIS) 142:2019, as an amendment subject to clearance and no objection and would later be included in the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
The Ministry has set a one-month timeframe for comments and objections, to review the notification, after which the proposed Standards would apply to all new tyre designs set to hit the Indian market on October 1, 2021, and all other existing tyre designs across the three vehicle segments on October 1, 2022.
Comments can be sent to: comments-morth@gov.in
In order to improve the country’s road transportation system’s mobility and efficiency and further ensure safer, fuel efficient and cleaner automobiles in alignment with International Standards, the proposal states that tyres of all cars, buses and trucks shall meet the requirements of rolling resistance, wet grip and rolling sound emissions, in line with the Stage-II limits of the European Regulations.
Proposed Amendment to Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989
Relevant extract from the proposed amendment is reproduced hereunder:
Rule 95 (1A), which specifies the standards for the tyre designs, has been inserted, namely:
“The tyre designs falling under class C1, C2 and C3, as defined in AIS 142:2019, and as applicable, shall meet the requirements of Rolling resistance, Wet Grip and Rolling Sound Emissions, as specified in Stage 2 of AIS 142:2019, as amended from time to time, till such time the corresponding BIS specifications are notified under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 (11 of 2016) against the timelines given in Table-1.”
The proposed amendment introducing progressive tyre norms is certainly a step forward towards increasing fuel efficiency and further ensure the safety of individuals, thereby gearing up their infrastructure in line with the ‘Tyre Labelling’ regulations (UNECE R 117) in Europe.
The legislative intent behind such an amendment is to ensure not only the user’s ability to make an informed decision, but also the safety, economic, and environmental efficiency of road transportation by promoting fuel-efficient and safe tyres with low noise levels as stated by the MoRTH[2].
CONCLUSION
The standard shall align the tyre performance with regard to their sound emissions, rolling resistance and adhesion performance on wet surfaces (wet adhesion) with the Stage-II limits of Europe regulations. This will also enable the user to make informed decision.
Fulfilling its vision and mission to have a sustainable, efficient, safe and internationally comparable quality of infrastructure and arrangements, the proposed amendment may also address the issue of road safety and fuel efficiency in India.
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[1] Notification No. G.S.R. 331 (E)
[2] https://twitter.com/morthindia/status/1395699469090361351