Nagpur: E-bikes dealers in the city have claimed that buyers insist on modifying their electric vehicles to increase their speed limit. “Manufacturers too do modifications in e-bikes,” said dealers while admitting to the malpractices. They were in a meeting with officials of the regional transport office which has been detaining modified e-bikes.
Officiating RTO and deputy RTO Ravindra Bhuyar warned of action against dealers who alter e-bikes. “As per rules, RTO can levy Rs1 lakh fine on dealers and Rs 1 crore on manufacturers,” he said.
Representatives of around 30 dealers attended the meeting. Bhuyar gave them a week’s time to rectify the alterations done in e-bikes. “From June 1, a special drive will be launched,” Bhuyar told the dealers.
Bhuyar said as per the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, e-bikes with a battery capacity of less than 250 watts and a speed limit of 25 kmph are exempt from registration process including the motor vehicle taxes. But for this, the vehicles must have to be procured from government-appointed authorised agencies.
Also, it is necessary to get the ‘vehicle model test’ done from authorised testing agencies and obtain a ‘type approval test report’ of the bike for the exemption. But like other cities, flying squads of all three transport department offices — city, east and rural — have launched a special drive and detained around 30 e-bikes.
It has also came to fore that many e-bike dealers who are not authorised to sell battery operated two-wheelers with battery capacity of more than 250 watts were illegally selling them. “We found that several manufacturers through local dealers are illegally selling the e-bikes and later increasing the battery capacity of the bike and its range,” Bhuyar told TOI.
Earlier in the day, Bhuyar directed motor vehicles inspectors (IMVs) to submit their investigation reports on alterations in e-bikes. “It will help in taking action,” he said.
As per records, city RTO has registered 1,014 e-bikes — 1,913 in east and 642 in rural RTO. These e-bikes were sold by 35 RTO authorised dealers.
