Hyderabad: Illegal vehicle customization against Law says RTA

Hyderabad: Hyderabad motorists must now be aware of the regulations which bans customizing of bikes without having approval from the RTA.

Deputy Commissioner of Police has made it clear that bikes customized without obtaining permission from the RTA and not in compliance with the law are liable to be seized along with being penalized under Section 74 of the Motor Traffic Ordinance.

Dr Kamal Soi, member of the National Road Safety Council said: “Nobody is following the law. People change the features of their vehicles as per their whims. A vehicle cannot be modified; tampering with the original make and model is not allowed. Vehicle modification is a threat, and if anyone indulges in it, he can be punished.”

M. Vinod Kanumula, Indian Federation of Road Safety chief functionary says, “As per the law, the proper way to change the colour of a vehicle is to get legal permission from the RTO, and have the new colour reflected in the Registration Certificate book. The chassis of the vehicle may also be affected by modifications. People mainly change their silencers and tail lamps, thus making their vehicles an inconvenience to fellow travellers,” he says.

Adding that the conversion of petrol and diesel vehicles to LPG and CNG is an issue, the service which is not provided by the vehicle manufactures.

He says that vehicle manufacturers seek legal permissions from the authorities to produce a particular make and model. “Customising and tampering with the make and model can be dangerous as the vehicle may lose its dimensions and aerodynamics, thus making the rider more vulnerable.”

A.V. Ranganath, deputy commissioner of police (Traffic), says, “We usually conduct a joint operation along with the RTO officials to nab offenders violating the law. It is against the law to modify either the interiors or the exteriors of any vehicle. If a vehicle is found to have been modified, we seize it and book a fine against the vehicle owner.”