Revised Road Transport and Safety Bill proposes relief for auto companies on recall norms

NEW DELHI: Providing big relief to car manufacturers, who have been objecting to the stringent mandatory recall norm, the road transport ministry has suggested a change in the proposed Road Transport and Safety Bill. Replacing the earlier provision of "100 complaints" to trigger a recall, the revised draft does not specify any such number.

The bill proposes setting up of a national authority that would look into all aspects of vehicle safety. The revised provision of the bill says that the authority will have the power to recall, based on certain specified conditions in the bill.

For example, the authority can recall a car or a variant where a defect may cause harm to the driver or occupants of that vehicle or to other road users. The bill says this provision can be invoked when "a defect in that particular type of motor vehicle has been reported to the national authority by such percentage of owners as specified" by it.

Sources said this was done after looking into the representation of different stakeholders, including the car manufacturers, who were against any specified number to trigger a recall. Sources said the focus is to make the law implementable and not arbitrary.

However, other conditions for recall include manufacturers shall be liable to pay compensation in case of damage caused due to a crash where it was caused by a mechanical or electrical defect in the vehicle that existed at the time of manufacture.