Firms carrying out alterations to vehicles will be made to issue certificates to vehicle owners stating that the alterations done are safe and conform to norms, and the firms will be held liable in case of accidents caused by such alterations, Transport Minister Antony Raju has said.
The Minister was replying to a calling attention motion by Anoop Jacob, MLA, in the Assembly on Wednesday on the increasing incidents of vehicles catching fire in the State.
Main cause
After the issue was brought to the attention of the State government, a meeting of technical experts, top officials, vehicle manufacturers, dealers, and insurance survey representatives in the transport sector was conducted to find out the actual cause of the accidents. It has been primarily assessed that vehicle fires are chiefly caused by problems in electrical circuits, due to alterations to the vehicles, and mechanical malfunctions.
These types of fires are more common in light motor vehicles. Illegal alterations made to low-variant vehicles to make them high-variants by fitting extra electric circuits, wiring and other accessories that do not conform to standards have been identified as the major cause of fire. Steps should be taken to discourage such unauthorised alterations and to regulate such firms. It was against this backdrop that the State decided to hold the firms responsible for the risk caused by the alterations, said the Minister.
He also said that dealers had been instructed to educate vehicle owners about the dangers of such alterations.
Fuel leaks
The Motor Vehicles department has also found that fuel leaks through holes in the rubber hose connecting engine and fuel tank has also caused fires.
A committee headed by the Road Safety Commissioner had been formed to study various causes of vehicle fires and submit a report in two months, said the Minister. The first meeting of the committee would be held on September 18 and the government would take necessary steps to ensure the safety of vehicle users after examining the recommendations, said Mr. Raju.
