The state of Kerala ranks among the highest in terms of modified cars and bikes in the country. Post the supreme court ruling, the crackdown by the local authorities on these modified vehicles has resulted in a huge uproar.
There have been protests by the owners of cars and bikes in Kerala. The local authorities have cracked down on offenders, confiscating modified two and four wheelers, issuing notices and levying hefty fines on vehicle owners who have resorted to any sort of modifications.
While earlier the emphasis was on two wheelers, the Kerala Motor Vehicle department has now started cracking down on modified cars. This comes at a time when it is noted that there are a number of modified cars on sale on online platforms such as OLX, etc, reveals The New Indian Express.
Notices were sent to owners to remove these modifications and then present their cars to the local RTO for checking. The installation of these aftermarket parts are an expensive proposition and it is not economical to the owner to just remove them after spending such large sums of money. Many owners decided that it is better to sell their cars / bikes to interested people in other states of India. These owners have hence put up the modified cars for sale to customers from other states where local transport authorities are not that vigilant.
But, the RTO authorities have noted this trend and have started inspecting the Registration Certificates of those selling their vehicles with modified parts. It is only after these parts are removed, that the local authorities are issuing No Objection Certificate; which is necessary to complete the sale and is mandatory for the transfer of the vehicle in the new owner’s name.
The Supreme Court order against modification of vehicles has been issued in view of rising instances of accidents. Modifications are usually seen in terms of aftermarket wheels, exhausts and horns. Manufacturers ensure best turning radius which gets tampered due to aftermarket fitment of wheels. Replacing of silencers can cause severe pollution to the environment while replacing of horns with those that emit loud and blaring noises causes disturbance to local residents and sometimes startles other road users, thereby causing more accidents.
