With the technological improvements in the automobile sector, the safety concern for vehicle users across the globe has also grown by a manifold. As per one of the provision in the Road Transport Safety Bill (RTSB) of 2014, “If even 100 people complain to the Vehicle Regulation and Road Safety Authority about a particular defect in any car model, which could cause harm.” The Road Transport Safety Bill (RTSB) shall be placed in the parliament's winter session and vehicle makers have given their comments on its provisions under the aegis of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
SIAM is of the view that authorities need to scrutinize the vehicles rather than ordering manufacturers to call for a recall. A senior official from the company said, “a Mandatory Vehicle Recall Policy is being notified soon so there was no cause for just 100 complaints to lead to a recall.” In India the vehicle recall policy is not clearly defined and in the absence of clear policies, passenger vehicle makers in the country have been announcing selective recalls on voluntary basis and there has been no reported instances of an affected customer being compensated due to a manufacturing defect.
Earlier this year Japanese carmaker Honda had announced a voluntary recall of about 31,000 units of its hot-selling compact Amaze sedan and Brio hatchback to inspect them for a possible defect in the brake system. In the past brands like Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, Ford and Tata Motors also featured in the list of cars recalls.
Source: FBP
