The Maharashtra government has decided to take action against modified e-bikes that are being run at higher speed after making some modifications.
At present, e-bikes with speed less than 25 kmph speed don't require registration, permit, licence or helmet. Transport Minister Anil Parab added that these low-speed e-bikes are generally considered a substitute for bicycles, but there were several complaints that they were run at a high speed.
"No violation of the rule will be tolerated if you want to run these (low-speed e-bikes). We will levy fine of Rs 1 lakh on dealers of these e-bikes for retrofitting them. There is also a provision of levying fines of Rs 100 crore on manufacturers for violating rules," said Parab.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had called a meeting about the e-bikes issue earlier in the day, in which it was decided that strict action will be taken against dealers and manufacturers of modified e-bikes.
If e-bikes are parked haphazardly on roads, the police will tow these vehicles and action will be taken against owners for obstructing traffic. Meanwhile, a transport department official said Maharashtra has around 93000 registered electric bikes among over one lakh e-vehicles.
On June 2, the state Transport Department started a facility of faceless RTOs where people can simply use the website for availing services. Minister Satej Patil launched Faceless RTOs wherein citizens can avail services without visiting RTOs.
The RTO services will be available with immediate effect from June 2. To avail of the services on the Faceless platform, the applicant needs to have an Aadhar number linked with her/his mobile number. The applicant will have to enrol himself through Aadhar number verification using OTP sent on the registered mobile number. Only after the due verification related to the other personal information about the applicant from the Aadhar portal, the application will be proceeded.
“Once the personal details of the applicant, such as name, address, date of birth and mobile number are verified, the six important services will be made available online. The applicants will not have to come to RTOs for the same. They can make the online application sitting at home saving crucial time. The licenses or registration certificates will be sent to the applicant by post. This will also help in saving valuable paper, besides time, as there will be no need to make copies of the documents,” Patil said.
The six documents being provided on the Faceless platform are – Secondary Registration Certificate, No Objection Certificate, Change of Address on Registration Certificate, Renewal of Driving License, Change of Address on License and Renewal of License. The Faceless platform will help to save the papers required for 18 to 20 lakh applications annually.
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