Heavy road making machinery is not motor vehicle: Centre to states

The Centre on Monday asked states to not insist on registration and driving license for heavy earth moving machinery, saying they do not fall under the Motor Vehicle Act.

It said that road building and rehabilitation equipment besides heavy earth moving machinery do not come under Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989.

"Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has clarified that the heavy road making machinery is not a motor vehicle, and is not covered under MV Act. The Ministry has requested the States and UTs to not to insist upon registration and driving licence for these machines," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement.

In a letter addressed to the transport departments of all the states and Union Territories, the ministry has informed that it has received a number of representations regarding road building and rehabilitation equipment, wherein concern regarding registration of cold recycling machines and soil stabilisation machine (road building and rehabilitation equipment) under Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989 has been raised.

"The representations have clarified that Cold milling machines are used to salvage the crust of the existing bituminous pavement to recover the asphalt material and re-use them to conserve aggregate and bitumen and save the associates costs of mining and crushing. Also the extracted bitumen leads to saving of bituminous thus saving of forex," the statement said.

Also, the work awarded to the concessionaire by the employer is within a given range of chainage, the statement said, adding these equipment work in a defined region.

Further, the operating speed of the above mentioned equipment is 5-10 kmph and these equipment are deployed at the work site through trailers, it noted.

"The representation regarding Heavy Earth Moving Machineries (HEMM) - wherein concern regarding registration of HEMM equipment and their operation has been raised.

"HEMM such as Dumpers, Payloaders, Shovels, Drill Master, Bulldozers, Motor Grader and Rock breakers are also categorised as 'Off the Road' operated and maintained within mine boundary under sole management, supervision and control of Mines Manager and never used outside mine boundary," the statement said.

The ministry said the issue was discussed in the 56th meeting of the CMVR-TSC (Central Motor Vehicles rules-Technical Standing Committee) wherein it was opined that cold milling machine, cold recycler and soil stabilisers are not covered under the definition of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and that the type approval of the machine is also not made.

On the similar lines HEMM such as dumpers, payloaders, shovels, drill master, bulldozers, motor grader and rock breakers are not covered under the definition of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and may not be insisted for registration under the Act, the ministry said.