Spare Wheel Rules: Cars With TPMS, Puncture Kit Can Ditch Extra Wheel

The Ministry of Road Transport has come up with new spare wheel rules for vehicles with tubeless tyres.

It states that cars with tubeless tyres will now be allowed to run without a spare wheel if the vehicle is fitted with puncture repair kit and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) as standard.

As per the new spare wheel rules, the system shall operate from a speed of 40 km/hr, up to the vehicle’s maximum speed. Vehicles with the above kits will have to comply with the new regulation from 1st October 2020.

An official has been quoted as saying that these changes are “progressive” and will meet the current and future requirements. Also, complying with the new standards will be mandatory for obtaining type approval for production of vehicles.

Only a few vehicles come with TPMS in India at present. The system, as the name suggests, monitors the tyre pressure and thus aids in safety.

This new rule will also help manufacturers reduce the weight of a vehicle and also provide the provision to hide the battery pack (in a hybrid vehicle) under the false boot floor.

Apart from the spare wheel rules, standards will be put in place for manufacturing accessories as well, since there are no regulations on it thus far.

From April 2021, the Ministry has made it mandatory for manufacturers of accessories to comply with the standards for 2-wheeler stands, external projections like footrests and for fixing a lightweight container behind the pillion rider.