Until now, what was being considered as a benefit for the motorists has now turned into a chore for leading two wheeler manufacturers. As per a previous mandate, the Government of India had approached all Two Wheeler companies in India to equip their vehicles with ABS from January 1 2026. But as per a slew of reports doing rounds over the internet it has been revealed that Manufacturers have been lobbying government outfits to postpone the date of the proposed regulation implementation.
A report from Economic Times has revealed that manufacturers have cited implementation challenges as well as capacity constraints as the main reason behind seeking relaxation. The new mandate was announced on June 27 when the Ministry of Road and Transport and Highways had issued a draft amendment to the central Motor Vehicles rules 1989. The new changes mandated fitment of ABS in all two wheelers manufactured on or after the specified date.
The report further revealed that to achieve the goal the industry would have to scale up ABS production by over six times from the current levels within a short time frame. Beyond the scale up of the manufacturing facilities, another factor that has been tormenting the manufacturers have been the Homologation of models.
A Challenge for the Homologation Agencies As Well
The Certifying agencies, themselves might not be well equipped to handle the Homologation of such a large scale of new vehicle homologation within six months.
The Ministry has reported that as per their investigations 80% of two wheeler accidents involve vehicles under 125CC underlining the need for ABS in the segment. The new amendments to the Motor Vehicle rules also mandate that two protective helmets should be provided with the sale of every two wheeler, effective three months from the date of final notification.
Manufacturers have also raised the concerns regarding the price increases with the new changes. As installing ABS is likely to increase vehicle prices by Rs 4500- 5000, a price rise of about 4-10% for entry level motorcycles. Such price changes would lead to enhanced burden on the final consumer.
