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The Government may soon make the vehicle-recall policy mandatory and is working on an interim report on the guidelines expected in the next two months.
The Ministry of Heavy Industries is also likely to come out with an interrogation report on General Motors India’s recent recall of 1.14 lakh of multi-utility vehicle Tavera, which is now being investigated by National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP), a senior Government official told Business Line .
“We are meeting with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Tuesday to discuss all the points and requirements for a mandatory vehicle recall policy. The final report will be ready in the next two months,” he said.
He said the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has also been asked to give recommendations on the policy.
However, Vishnu Mathur, Director-General, SIAM, said no such request from the Government had come. He said if the Government made any mandatory recall policy, ‘the industry would have to follow it’.
Tuesday’s meeting will be attended by representatives from different Ministries, NATRiP and Automotive Research Association of India.
While the broad legal framework for vehicle standards falls under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules framed by the Roads Ministry, the implementation of standards falls under the Heavy Industries Ministry.
Voluntary basis
A mandatory recall policy is the need of the hour, as many companies are recalling vehicles on a voluntary basis, an official said.
The recent recall by GM, India Yamaha Motor (for Ray scooter) and Ford India (EcoSport) were all done on voluntary basis.
According to a senior official of the Roads Ministry, a high-level committee meeting was held on GM India’s recall issue, wherein it was decided that the State governments (Gujarat and Maharashtra, where the manufacturing facilities of GM are located) need to take appropriate action against the company.
It was also decided that the Automotive Research Association of India should decide on all pending approvals for GM within the next four weeks, so that the company can take necessary steps and start working on the recalled vehicles.
“There could be a minimum fine of Rs 3 crore on GM India under the Motor Vehicles Act. However, that would be decided by the States concerned (Gujarat and Maharashtra),” a person privy to the meeting, said.
> ronendrasingh.s@thehindu.co.in
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