Spare wheel not compulsory for all passenger vehicles - MoRTH

·         Applicable to all passenger cars in the M1 category

·         M1 category vehicles seat up to 9 (including driver) and weigh less than 3.5 tonnes

·         Safety glass or safety glazing material mandatory on all vehicles from April 2021

In a recent notification, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has made an amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), stating that passenger vehicles falling under the M1 category, subject to certain conditions, are not required to be sold with a spare wheel.

What is the M1 category?

The M1 category refers to all passenger vehicles with a seating capacity of up to nine occupants, including the driver. The vehicles also must not weigh more than 3.5 tonnes.

What are the conditions to be met?

As per the ruling, a vehicle in the M1 category can be exempted from having a spare wheel if the manufacturer has equipped the model with tubeless tyres. Moreover, the vehicle in question must be equipped with a tyre pressure monitoring system and a tyre repair kit, which includes tyre sealant.

The intention behind this rule is to bring Indian regulations in line with international markets where similar provisions have been made, and to give manufacturers the opportunity to use the space liberated for storage, or for additional batteries in the case of electric or electrified vehicles.

The ruling will also be applicable to commercial vehicles falling under the N1 category manufactured from October 2020.

Are there any other regulations?

MoRTH has also stated that, with effect from April 2021, all vehicles, passenger or commercial, fitted with a cabin, must come equipped with safety glass or safety glazing material. The safety glass or glazing material should allow for not less than 70 percent of light to pass through when used for the front and rear wind shields and not less than 50 percent for side windows.