The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), on June 30, 2026, published the draft Central Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 2026 inviting objections and suggestions from stakeholders within 30 days from the date of publication. The proposed amendments seek to strengthen the safety and registration framework for Category M2 and M3 buses having a seating capacity of 13 or more passengers (excluding the driver).
The draft rules propose that, from July 1, 2026, every Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) manufacturing chassis or incompletely built buses and every accredited bus body builder shall be required to submit authorised pre-dispatch checklists in Forms 20-C and 20-D, respectively. Further, each critical safety component of the chassis and bus body must be certified through a template-based video in accordance with the applicable standards to ensure compliance with prescribed safety requirements.
Additionally, the draft proposes that, at the time of vehicle registration, the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) or an authorised inspection officer shall complete a pre-registration inspection checklist in Form 20-E for such buses. The proposed amendments are intended to enhance verification of safety-critical components before registration and improve overall road safety for passenger transport vehicles.
[Notification No. G.S.R. 541(E)]
