(1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle in any public place unless he holds an effective driving licence issued to him authorising him to drive the vehicle; and no person shall so drive a transport vehicle [other than ¹[a motor cab or motor cycle] hired for his own use or rented under any scheme made under sub-section (2) of section 75] unless his driving licence specifically entitles him so to do.

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(2) The conditions subject to which sub-section (1) shall not apply to a person receiving instructions in driving a motor vehicle shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

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(1) The Central Government may make rules regulating the construction, equipment and maintenance of motor vehicles and trailers with respect to all or any of the following matters, namely:--

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(a) the width, height, length and overhang of vehicles and of the loads carried;

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¹[(b) the size, nature, maximum retail price and condition of tyres, including embossing thereon of date and year of manufacture and the maximum load carrying capacity;]

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(c) brakes and steering gear;

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(d) the use of safety glasses including prohibition of the use of tinted safety glasses;

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(e) signalling appliances, lamps and reflectors;

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(f) speed governors;

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(g) the emission of smoke, visible vapour, sparks, ashes, grit or oil;

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(h) the reduction of noise emitted by or caused by vehicles;

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(i) the embossment of chassis number and engine number and the date of manufacture;

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(j) safety belts, handle bars of motor cycles, auto-dippers and other equipments essential for safety of drivers, passengers and other road users;

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(k) standards of the components ²[including software] used in the vehicle as inbuilt safety devices;

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(l) provision for transportation of goods of dangerous or hazardous nature to human life;

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(m) standardsfor emission of air pollutants;

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³[(n) installation of catalytic convertors in the class of vehicles to be prescribed;

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(o) the placement of audio-visual or radio or tape recorder type of device in public vehicles;

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(p) warranty after sale of vehicle and norms therefor:]

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Provided that any rules relating to the matters dealing with the protection of environment, so far as may be, shall be made after consultation with the Ministry of the Government of India dealing with environment.

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(2) Rules may be made under sub-section (1) governing the matters mentioned therein, including the manner of ensuring the compliance with such matters and the maintenance of motor vehicles in respect of such matters, either generally in respect of motor vehicles or trailers or in respect of motor vehicles or trailers of a particular class or in particular circumstances ²[and such rules may lay down the procedure for investigation, the officers empowered to conduct such investigations, the procedure for hearing of such matters and the penalties to be levied thereunder.]

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²[(2A) Persons empowered under sub-section (2) to conduct investigations referred to in sub-section (2) shall have all the powers of a civil court, while trying a suit under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908) in respect of the following matters, namely:--

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(a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath;

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(b) requiring the discovery and production of any document;

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(c) receiving evidence on affidavit; and

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(d) any other matter as may be prescribed.]

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(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section,--

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(a) the Central Government may exempt any class of motor vehicles from the provisions of this Chapter;

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(b) a State Government may exempt any motor vehicle or any class or description of motor vehicles from the rules made under sub-section (1) subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

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