Two-Wheelers to Get Costlier From April 2018, Thanks to This New Mandatory Rule

Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials in an attempt to enforce the diktat have said that every new two-wheeler manufactured after April 1, 2018, will have to be fitted with ABS before it comes for registration at the RTO.

In Pune for example, over 27 lakh existing bike owners will now have to shell out at least Rs 5,000 to install the equipment. Vehicles already registered and on the road have been given a deadline of March 31, 2019.

Picture for representation only. Source: Flickr

The ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), used for two-wheelers with an engine capacity of over 125 cc prevents brakes from locking when applied suddenly on slippery roads. Combined Braking System (CBS) is a similar system that is used for vehicles below that capacity. It distributes pressure applied on the rear wheel to the front wheel, minimising accidents. The equipment may cost anything between Rs.5000-Rs.8000.

The ministry notified its decision mandating ABS and CBS on March 16, 2016, stating the enforcement will come in from April 1, 2019. Some two-wheeler companies already install the system in bikes with an engine capacity of over 200 cc before selling them.

While the onus for getting the ABS/CBS system installed lies on existing bike owners, however, it is not clear where they can obtain the equipment. RTO officials have assured that there is no need for worry. Speaking to The Indian Express, Sanjay Raut, deputy RTO of Pune said, “We will come up with directives and information that will help two-wheeler owners get ABS and CBS conveniently and at a fair price. Also, the deadline to get them fitted is March 31, 2019. So, there is enough time at hand.”

This decision will reportedly see a hike in the price of two-wheelers. For this reason, many manufacturers in India offer a single channel ABS with the vehicle, as it is cheaper than a dual channel unit.

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A single channel ABS has an ABS on one wheel only (at the front) while te dual-channel ABS has the safety equipment installed on both wheels. For this reason, the latter offers more safety than the former.

Regional Transport Officer Vinod Sagre said if vehicles manufactured after April 2018 have not installed the ABS, they will not receive the registration certificate by the RTO. “During the registration of vehicles, the RTO inspector will check the date of manufacture. It is easy to find new vehicles (After April 1, 2018,),” he told The Indian Express.

Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has recently stated that the installation of CBS would hike the price of scooters that do not have such equipment in the range of Rs 500 to Rs 1000. However, this will not impact the prices of two-wheelers much, as most scooters presently on sale in the market come with a CBS.

The body also stated that the price of the economy and the executive motorcycles would also increase in the same range. The premium motorcycles having an engine displacement of 125cc and above might see a hike of close to Rs 9,000.

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