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-   -   Are Tractors, JCBs & Cranes roadworthy? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/commercial-vehicles/193317-tractors-jcbs-cranes-roadworthy.html)

In my daily commute I observe quite a few tractors/JCBs and cranes driving recklessly. The tractors are sometimes driven by very young folks (I really doubt they have licenses). The cranes are usually veering to one side as they are driven on the roads. A lot of countries clearly indicate that tractors are not road worthy. Eg: http://wislawjournal.com/2010/11/24/farm-tractor-is-not-a-motor-vehicle/
They are meant to be used in farms only. We are seeing them being used extensively in cities and I believe it is to flout the norms of regulating truck movement in the city.

Does our Motor act recognize these vehicles are road worthy?

JCBs what you call (correct name is backhoe loader) is road worthy. It has to get ARAI certificate just like any other vehicles. It can go up to 40-45 kmph.

Both backhoe loaders and tractors have RTO registration numbers implying they are allowed to ply on public roads. However, I don't think heavy construction machinery like excavators (with metal tracks) are allowed because they will rip apart the road. They are always carried on trucks.

Tractors are not meant for 'farm only'. If tractors are restricted to farms, then no farmer will be able to buy them because of affordability factor. The farmers need tractors on farms only during the sowing season (3 months in a year). Rest of the time, they are on roads earning income for the farmer.

Yes you are right in the current scenario.

Going forward there is a proposal to bring these type of equipment for emission norm certification ( Tier 4F) for which ARAI will be involved.

I have a slightly different take on this. Even if they have RTO registration numbers I do not think they are allowed to ply on public roads. I say this because of the following -

1. A road roller does not require registration and neither does the driver need a license but still many times you can see them being driven on the road right from under the cops nose and nothing is done. They slow traffic and also damage the roads. They are supposed to be used only on road with no-vehicular traffic and not otherwise

2. Many electric bikes do not have a registration but are allowed to ply on the roads and they can go at pretty good speeds to injure people

3. Cycles

My point here being that a registration with the RTO or otherwise does not qualify an automotive to be driven on roads or keep it off roads.


That again isnt a criteria for allowing these vehicles to ply on roads. Farmers can always go ahead with shared tractors as I have seen in plenty of farms around. Many farmers pool together to buy a tractor and use it across the farms. That way the investment and the use is shared between the group without pinching one individual.

I could be wrong here in my understanding and would be glad to be corrected.

If you ask me, tractors, loaders and cranes are still fast enough and hence dual purpose. They can work as machines in farms/construction sites, AND haul themselves elsewhere using public roads. We cannot have big trucks, which themselves do not move much faster than these machines taking them around. So this is an acceptable solution that they move on their own. Allowing them only during non-peak hours or disallowing them on fast corridors is acceptable.

The real pain is having machines on road which cannot even go beyond 10kmph like road roller and forklifts !!! How does the RTO even register them as "vehicles"?

Not true mate, road roller does need registration (we have couple of them). There is no special category of license for them to be driven though.

JCBs are available in two broad flavors.
One with Tyres, and the other with Tracks.

The one with Tyres is road worthy, and needs to be registered.
The one with Tracks is prohibited for road use.

Probably then I suppose the State Governments are free to decide on the rules around this(?). Tried searching MVA around this but the closest I could get was an article from 2015. As per this article,

EDIT -Another similar article. Also adding to it, as per my knowledge, any motor vehicle needs a license to be driven and if it doesnt require a license then should it be classified as a motor vehicle ? However since you say you have a couple of registered ones, I stand corrected on it

Not true. It is mandated by ARAI.

Partly true . But there are tracks with rubber pads for equipment that need ARAI certification ( Road Pavers)



You are absolutely right. See attached.

Once ARAI certified they cannot be a mandated ban of them on road. Maybe the local authority can restrict on the timings of travel of such equipment. But highly doubt so.

The screenshot shared does not mention any mandate, or am I missing something?

There is a mandatory document circulated by Ministry of Surface Transport on requirements of off-highway vehicles plying on road.:)

Vehicles of such nature will be confiscated especially in state borders if they are not ARAI certified. Also note there is a validation date and need to be re-certified again. (refer the AIS documents for tests, both emission and machine specifications)

Validation/certification from ARAI is fine but its not same as registering with the RTO. Yes, it can be a prerequisite that the ARAI certificate would be required for regisration and also the vehicles without the certificate can be confiscated if spoted but a certificate from ARAI does not mandate the registering with the RTO. ARAI would just check the road worthiness and related details for a automotive which can ply on the road and that is it IMHO.

You can look at it anyway. But the registration of the vehicle cannot be done without an ARAI certification.

You seem to be a different track buddy. We are talking about registration of a road roller and not about the ARAI certification. Its known that you need an ARAI certificate for registration but not every ARAI certified vehicle needs to be mandatorily registered.

The point here is ARAI will not mandate any registration as such. as mentioned in your earlier post and that is what I was trying to drive across