Illegal vehicle modification can land you in trouble, warns RTA

Motorists must be aware of the law before deciding to modify or customise their vehicles. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) says that vehicles which have been modified without permission from the RTA are liable to be seized.

Passenger vehicles may be modified to change their appearance or improve their performance. However, the modifications must be compliant with the law for the vehicle to be authorised for use.

Officials say that those who fit additional devices to their cars or motorcycles or modify them so as to create a roaring sound will be severely penalised under Section 74 of the Motor Traffic Ordinance.

“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,” says Dr Kamal Soi, a member of the National Road Safety Council.

M. Vinod Kanumula, the chief functionary of the Indian Federation of Road Safety, 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.

He adds that the conversion of petrol and diesel vehicles to LPG and CNG used to be an issue because it was being done via improper channels. This service is not provided by car manufacturers themselves.

Mr Kanumula 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,” he says.

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.”