Maruti Swift Nissan Go Zero Star NCAP debacle

Gauhati High Court lifts ban; all vehicles cleared to ply on Assam roads

Global NCAP Crash tst Indian Cars _Hyundai_i10

On June 26, addressing petitions that demanded safer small cars, the Gauhati High Court had debarred sales and registrations of about 140 models in Assam, that don’t meet international safety standards. [Read all about it here]. The list included best-selling cars like the Maruti Alto, Hyundai i10 and the Honda Jazz. Now, in it’s latest hearing, which was scheduled for today, the High Court has reversed the ban, and has allowed the sale and registration of the victimised models.

The failure of the aforementioned cars to meet the stringent safety norms set forward by the internationally acclaimed Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP), had led to their brief demise in the North East Indian state, with petitioners insisting that higher safety standards are required in mountainous regions of Assam. Sales had already taken a hit, as Assam alone accounts for close to 12% of total car sales in the country, apart from being the largest market in the region.

However, the authorities have now lifted the ban, and the latest order from the Gauhati High Court states “There cannot be any prohibition restricting registration and sale of 4-wheelers with a mass up to 1,500kgs and quadricycles that have undergone the crash test and emission test conforming to the requirement and standards set down by the Bureau of Indian Standards and in respect of such vehicles which have been certified by a statutory authority of having met the said requirements.”

The lift on the ban came following SIAM’s involvement in the issue, backed by manufacturers, who put forward the clause that the vehicles met existing Indian safety and emission standards, which strictly lawfully speaking, is right. All should be well, as from October 2017, a new regulatory body called the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Programme (BNVSAP) will be set up to ensure that all Indian made vehicles provide basic safety in line with global standards for adult occupants, children and pedestrians.

 

 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top