o Amendment in the year 1994. This included:
- Rationalization of the definition of the various categories of
motor vehicles;
- Mandating of a minimum one year experience of driving a light motor
vehicle before a person can be granted a licence for transport vehicle
tightening of norms for drivers transporting dangerous or hazardous
goods;
- Encouraging use of battery, CNG and solar energy as an auto fuel
by exempting vehicles using such fuel from the requirement of permit
or fixation of fare by the State Government;
- Empowering Central Government to make rule for standardizing components
in Motor Vehicles;
- Increasing the amount of compensation in the event of death from
Rs. 25,000/- to Rs. 50,000/- in respect of no fault liability etc.
o Amendment in the year 2000. This Included:
- Authorized use of LPG as an auto
fuel.
- Buses used by educational institutions brought under the purview of
permit regime.
- Alterations made in transport vehicle without prior approval of the
Registering Authority were barred.
o Amendment in the year 2001 was necessitated
by:
- Need to bring the buses plying on
CNG within the purview of State Transport Authority in respect of fixation
of fares and route permits.

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The Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989
have been amended from time to time to meet the emerging requirements:
o Amendment in the year 2004. Notified amendments
include:
- Safety norms for various components
of agricultural tractors such as power steering, lamps, light, parking
light, etc.;
- Extension of Bharat Stage-II emission
norms for four wheeled vehicles in Solapur & Lucknow from 1-6-2004;
- Specifications of smart card and
related peripherals to be used for smart card based Driving Licence(DL)
and Registration Certificate (RC); and
- Introduction of Bharat Stage-III
emission norms in 11 mega cities from 1-4-2005.
o Amendment in the year 2005. Notified amendments include:
- Updation of the list of dangerous
and hazardous goods in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules.
- The terms "Battery Operated
Vehicle" and "Power Tiller" have been defined.
- The emission norms, overall dimension
and other related norms for "Power Tiller" have been prescribed.
- Time limits for various functions
discharged by Licencing & Registering authorities & Appellate
authorities under the Motor Vehicles Acts/Rules have been specified.
- It has been made mandatory for the
manufacturer to supply a protective headgear conforming to BIS Standards
at the time of sale of the two wheelers, subject to the exceptions under
Section 129 of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
- Type approval Rules for CNG/LPG vehicles
have been rationalized.
- States have been empowered to prescribe
special provisions such as fog lamp, power steering, defogging and demisting
systems in transport vehicles plying in hill areas.

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ØThe
Carriers Act, 1965 was enacted on 14-2-1965 regulating the
liability of Carriers. The Act enabled common carriers to limit the
liability for the loss of or damage to property delivered to them to
be carried but also to declare their liability for loss of or damage
to such property occasioned by the negligence or criminal acts of themselves,
their servants or agents. Since 1965 many changes have taken place and
the Road Transport scenario has totally changed.
- A review of the Act has been done.
- A Bill to repeal the Carriers Act,
1965 and to enact the Carriage by Road Act, 2005 has been introduced
in the Rajya Sabha on 7-12-2005.
- This legislation would help to make
the transport system transparent and modernise the systems and procedures
of the transportation trade through registration of common carrier and
equitable apportionment of liability between the common carrier and
the consignor.
- The Bill was referred to Department
Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture.
- The Committee has submitted its report
to Rajya Sabha on 21-3-2006.
- The recommendations of the Committee
are under examination in the Department.

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