SC asks Centre to consider suggestions on Quadricycles

The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to give "due consideration" to suggestions made on the issue of safety and emission standards of small four-wheeler vehicles and quadricycles.
Quadricycles are a new category of cycle-like four-wheelers which are now allowed to ply on the roads. The issue before the apex court also related to the sale of small four-wheelers with a mass of up to 1500 kg.
In its order, a bench comprising Justices A K Goel and U U Lalit noted that the government's draft notification of June 2017 regarding safety standards for quadricycles was handed over to the counsel representing the petitioners. It also took note of the notification of November 24 last year regarding the emission standards of such vehicles.

Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand today told the bench that matters were at the final stage of the consideration by the Ministry of Road Transport.
"Having regard to the nature of the issue, we permit the parties before this court to file their suggestions, if any, to the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport, within a period of two weeks from today. The same be given due consideration and the matter may thereafter be finalised expeditiously," the bench said.
"It is made clear that we have not expressed any opinion on the merits of the rival contentions and are disposing of all these matters with the direction that the suggestions of the petitioners instead of being considered by this court, be considered by the concerned authority of the central government," the bench said in its order.

A batch of petitions was filed in the apex court saying that safety and emission standards must be laid down first before these vehicles are introduced in the market and without this, it might endanger the safety of people. The pleas had challenged the amendments made to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules to allow these new vehicles to ply on the roads.
The Centre had earlier constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Dinesh Tyagi, director of the International Centre for Automotive Technology, for the purpose of framing rules and regulations for these new category of vehicles.