New government notification says vehicles with up to 8 seats need not carry a spare tyre

Bibendum90949 · 22nd July 2020, 09:08

Passenger carriers with up to 8 seats require no spare tyre: Gazette

Our Bureau New Delhi | Updated on July 21, 2020 Published on July 21, 2020.

Quote:

The government on Tuesday said the M1 category of vehicles fitted with tubeless tyres may not require to carry a spare wheel or tyre and instead carry a tyre repair kit as a standard item.

“Provided further that in case of M1 category of vehicle fitted with tubeless tyre and supplied with tyre repair kit as a standard item, it may not require a ready to use or temporary use spare wheel,” a Gazette of India notification said.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com...le32153294.ece

This is another thoughtless rule I guess. It means the driver has to carry a tyre inflator too or an expensive repair kit. We don't have European standard roads , what if the tyre is damaged like a side wall cut and not just a puncture, that's very much probable on our road conditions.

How does such a rule help the motorists, it can only help manufacturers to get rid of the spare wheel and cut that cost. As it is they already save it by cutting corners and giving space savers and under sized wheels and tyres as spare.

Mods, Please update this under the relevant section. I couldn't find an appropriate place to post this than this thread.

earthian · 22nd July 2020, 09:47

I use my GLE to roam around forests and the mountains. The absence of a full spare has always rankled me and i had a horrible experience in one of the forest in MP about 2 years back. I was driving inside the forest (It was not a National park or Sanctuary) and the car bounced on a particularly bad patch and landed with a thud on a sharp stone, cutting the rear tire.

I carry all the essentials for fixing a puncture, but this cut was about an inch long. No chance of mending it. I limped to our place of stay on the baby spare, and set out to mend the tire. The nearest village (small town) was 25 kms away and no service there. Went further 20 kms and a wayside puncture shop toiled over 2 hours , but without any success.

We cut short our visit and went to Bhopal (~ 200kms) to get a new tyre and would you believe it? No tyre available in the size and specs we wanted. It would take 2 days to get it from Indore. The local MB dealer recommended fixing a tube and driving to Indore, where he said that we would get the tyre off the shelf.

I have now bought a second hand alloy ( of the same design) and carry a full size spare where ever we go. We also carry the tube for a good measure. The irritant as others have pointed out, is that the spare well is not deep enough of take the full size spare and hence juts out by about 3.5 inches or so. A pain, but an insurance that is worth it.

hemanth.anand · 22nd July 2020, 09:55

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a notification mentioning vehicles fitted with tubeless tyres and supplied with tyre repair kit as a standard item may not require to carry a spare wheel or tyre.

This applies to Vehicle categories M1 and N1 manufactured after October 1, 2020. M1 category means a motor vehicle used for the carriage of passengers, comprising not more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat. N1 category means a motor vehicle used for carriage of goods and having a Gross vehicle Weight not exceeding 3.5 tons.

The vehicles must be fitted with tyre pressure monitoring system approved as per AIS 110 and Tyre repair kit (an easy-to-repair kit stored in the vehicle, which can seal the punctured spot in the tyre tread using specific sealant poured into the tyre along with compressed air).

Source

I expect cars to get lighter with the removal of the spare tyre and space for it in the boot. TPMS + tyre repair kits are much cheaper to procure and easy to integrate into the dash.

Considering how our people maintain these additional kits, I expect more and more people to be stranded on the roads. I feel this regulation is not so good for road safety. This is worse than having a thin and ugly space saver tyre. I feel it is easier to replace a spare tyre than fixing a puncture.
Manufacturers will only make more profits from this move. They save on a spare Tyre and to make place for it in the boot. They'll not pass on any of this savings to the end customer. Dealers will make money by road side assistance for fixing punctures.

And not to mention the nail mafia. They will be more happier as their hit rate will be higher now.

AkMar · 22nd July 2020, 10:17

I fully agree with your views, Hemanth. It is ridiculous to expect that every car owner will have skills to detect and fix punctures in their car. Replacing with spare wheel is relatively much easier task. Also when you have a spare wheel you can just replace wheel and be on your way. If God forbid a tyre gets flat in middle of nowhere at midnight, how are the occupants expected to detect the puncture & fix it in the dark? Situation gets worse if the place is well known for robberies. Replacing with spare wheel will take lesser time & effort in this scenario. And yes, maintenance of the kit is an altogether different topic as you said.

And what if a tyre gets cut? There is no shortage of obstacles capable of cutting tyres on our roads. It will leave the vehicle stranded for sure. God help you in finding a new tyre if the car has an uncommon tyre size. Will cause big problems if there is no major city closeby.

As for the manufacturers, they can also come up with a money making idea - optional spare tyre. Fat margins/profits for the accessories department of dealerships, isn't it!

KL01toKA03 · 22nd July 2020, 10:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

I expect cars to get lighter with the removal of the spare tyre and space for it in the boot. TPMS + tyre repair kits are much cheaper to procure and easy to integrate into the dash.

Considering how our people maintain these additional kits, I expect more and more people to be stranded on the roads. I feel this regulation is not so good for road safety.

And not to mention the nail mafia. They will be more happier as their hit rate will be higher now.

I think this is a very good move. Even now, how many people actually change a tyre on the road in case of a puncture, fill air in spare tyres, or rotate all 5 wheels? Also while buying a new set of tyres, how many people buy 5 tyres? Even now, when vehicles come with a spare tyre, many spare tyres would not be in a usable state.

Most people I know (including me) do not regularly fill air in the spare tyre or bother to change the tyre instead of calling the nearby puncture repair shop. I also know that the service center I go to does not bother to rotate tyres as mentioned in the service booklet. I asked them to do it for the initial few service visits, and after I changed my first set of tyres, I never bothered pointing it out.

As I see it, the positives are:

1. Lower weight, hence better fuel efficiency
2. Lower costs to the manufacturer and possibly to the consumer

Negatives:
1. For people with frequent highway trips/night trips, the possibility of getting stranded is real. They can choose to buy a spare.

humyum · 22nd July 2020, 10:47

Now manufacturers will start not having the spare tyre well built in the vehicle to increase more luggage carrying space or save on spare tyre costs.

Absolutely a horrific move, in a country like India which has lot of rural areas, highways with potholes and what not, imagine hitting a pothole at 80, getting your tyre having its sidewall cracked/torn and you not having a spare tyre too because the manufacturer just followed the government guidelines and gave you tyre inflator with repair kit.

I think people making these rules should come out of their cozy offices, get out of their BMW's and start thinking about the human who drives on the road.

Turbohead · 22nd July 2020, 10:59

I'm guessing Maruti must've lobbied with MoRTH to get this proposal passed so that more weight can be saved.

Rubbish move. The only beneficiaries are manufacturers who can charge a bomb for the spare tire. Also tires still aren't good enough to survive our highways, especially low profile tires which is beginning very common. If a tire gets cut due to some big pothole, no tire repair kit can fix that! Calling roadside assistance, paying a bomb for roadside assistance and the real risk of personal safety on a highway will be the bane of highway users!

Terrible terrible move!

CARDEEP · 22nd July 2020, 11:10

In my first car Santro Xing 2003, which came with tube tyres, I used to carry 2 spare tubes, so that any tube damage does not mean I'm buying poor quality tubes in hiterland.

Guess with this notification/ rule, we may need to carry spare tyre (minus the rim). Many would go for specsaver tyre alternatively.

What can be said about the bureaucracy behind such legislations, who reject e-vehicles because 100-150 Kms don't serve the memsahib grocery & kitty parties runs

However, this also means more space for hybrids kits (I believe few Germans have hybrid battery kit in boot) & the passenger cabin is even safer from hazardous materials.

Justin · 22nd July 2020, 11:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by KL01toKA03

I think this is a very good move. Even now, how many people actually change a tyre on the road in case of a puncture, fill air in spare tyres, or rotate all 5 wheels? Also while buying a new set of tyres, how many people buy 5 tyres? Even now, when vehicles come with a spare tyre, many spare tyres would not be in a usable state.

I would say quite a few who does long journeys do maintain them. Most won't buy 5 tyres at a time, but still having a spare tyre with slight life left is a big relief in an unfortunate moment. I, and many people I know, make sure to fill air in spare tyre before a long journey. I do hate space-savers, but still it's better to keep moving slowly than being stranded at an unknown place.

I do agree with AkMar, when you get puncture in an unknown area, it's best to change the tyre and fix the tyre when you are at a comfortable location. I hope manufacturers don't get away with wheel-well, as those who prefer to have a spare tyre/space-saver will be affected badly if they do so.

anandhsub · 22nd July 2020, 11:29

Ridiculous move this. Out of the 5 or so punctures have had last 6 yrs 2 were complete blowouts because of hitting potholes. Thankfully both were in the city, even then had to use the spare wheel for a few kms before I got a new tyre. Can't even imagine driving on the highway without a spare. I hope manufacturers still leave a dedicated space in the boot for an optional spare rather than considering the tyre as a luggage.

amsidhu · 22nd July 2020, 11:36

Absurd decision as it assumes everyone is driving on similar roadsides, shops etc with well developed infrastructure. In a country as wide and diverse as ours, there are options aplenty where one can easily get stuck due to a tyre burst/cut/puncture and not find any help except themselves.

And situation will be that when one looks in the trunk to replace the damaged tyre they find- no spare tyre ! Roadside assistance number might not even be reachable. Possible advantages 0.15 kmpl increase in mileage.

Personally having a spare tyre even if its never used in 10 years is any day better than having none. Also the last breed of macho looking Jeeps/Thars/Ecosoports which proudly held a spare tyre on rear door will vanish.

One more feature which we will have to add in our " features that Team BHPians miss in 2025 cars "

Shreyans_Jain · 22nd July 2020, 11:37

I don’t really mind having a space saver for a spare. But there absolutely must be a spare tire. No way I’ll buy a car if they don’t provide a stepney.

avira_tk · 22nd July 2020, 11:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbohead

I'm guessing Maruti must've lobbied with MoRTH to get this proposal passed so that more weight can be saved.

Rubbish move. The only beneficiaries are manufacturers who can charge a bomb for the spare tire. Also tires still aren't good enough to survive our highways, especially low profile tires which is beginning very common. If a tire gets cut due to some big pothole, no tire repair kit can fix that! Calling roadside assistance, paying a bomb for roadside assistance and the real risk of personal safety on a highway will be the bane of highway users!

Terrible terrible move!

I'll give Maruti a pass on this, it's European brands that have gone to extremes with this idiotic idea. Spare wheel is just insurance, I have not used mine in 9 years, that's because I have not been on bad patches with my punto, (another reason to get an suv). You won't find a tyre repair shop when you have a flat, Murphys law.

Another reason for this is to reduce carbon emissions, the idiotic policy that pushed diesel to everyone who didn't need it.

Sutripta · 22nd July 2020, 11:44

In my mind the most important question is not about the spare but about the space/ ability to carry the spare should one choose to.

Wonder if BMW is dancing a jig.

If it is a India specific model, space is likely to be repurposed for CNG tank, batteries for hybrids, or just plain addition to boot space.

Sutripta

Grease_Monkey · 22nd July 2020, 11:58

Ridiculous move! How much weight can be saved by removing spare tyre, better to clear the junk most of the car owners have in the boot. Imagine trying to fix puncture with family in a remote location at night.
My car has suffered puncture 3 times only over the 20,000kms, but of those 2 were relatively fast punctures where I definitely couldn't have reached tire repair shop just by filling air using compressor. I quickly changed the tyre and got it fixed next morning. I have a puncture repair kit too in the boot if required, and plan to buy a compressor too next.
Replacing a spare tyre hardly takes 10 minutes for most of us who are decently fit and able. For those who have back problems or otherwise can use air compressor till they reach the tyre repair shop. TPMS is good, but what if you have a blow out, or multiple punctures in tire there is no amount of puncture repair kit that can help in that situation. My motorcycle had 13 punctures once since one of my friends had ridden over glass which thankfully weren't deep and I could ride to the shop to get it fixed.
I just hope if the manufacturers remove the spare tyres, they don't remove the wheel well to place them so that those interested can purchase a spare for peace of mind, same reason I carry a small tool kit when travelling since the cars & bikes these days have a practically useless tool kit.

22nd July 2020, 09:47	#2
earthian BHPian Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 611 Thanked: 2,123 Times	Re: Four's a wheelie, Five's a waste : Is a matching spare wheel a necessity? I use my GLE to roam around forests and the mountains. The absence of a full spare has always rankled me and i had a horrible experience in one of the forest in MP about 2 years back. I was driving inside the forest (It was not a National park or Sanctuary) and the car bounced on a particularly bad patch and landed with a thud on a sharp stone, cutting the rear tire. I carry all the essentials for fixing a puncture, but this cut was about an inch long. No chance of mending it. I limped to our place of stay on the baby spare, and set out to mend the tire. The nearest village (small town) was 25 kms away and no service there. Went further 20 kms and a wayside puncture shop toiled over 2 hours , but without any success. We cut short our visit and went to Bhopal (~ 200kms) to get a new tyre and would you believe it? No tyre available in the size and specs we wanted. It would take 2 days to get it from Indore. The local MB dealer recommended fixing a tube and driving to Indore, where he said that we would get the tyre off the shelf. I have now bought a second hand alloy ( of the same design) and carry a full size spare where ever we go. We also carry the tube for a good measure. The irritant as others have pointed out, is that the spare well is not deep enough of take the full size spare and hence juts out by about 3.5 inches or so. A pain, but an insurance that is worth it. Last edited by earthian : 22nd July 2020 at 09:49.
	(39) Thanks

22nd July 2020, 09:55	#3
hemanth.anand Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 3,275 Thanked: 14,706 Times View My Garage	New government notification says vehicles with up to 8 seats need not carry a spare tyre The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a notification mentioning vehicles fitted with tubeless tyres and supplied with tyre repair kit as a standard item may not require to carry a spare wheel or tyre. This applies to Vehicle categories M1 and N1 manufactured after October 1, 2020. M1 category means a motor vehicle used for the carriage of passengers, comprising not more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat. N1 category means a motor vehicle used for carriage of goods and having a Gross vehicle Weight not exceeding 3.5 tons. The vehicles must be fitted with tyre pressure monitoring system approved as per AIS 110 and Tyre repair kit (an easy-to-repair kit stored in the vehicle, which can seal the punctured spot in the tyre tread using specific sealant poured into the tyre along with compressed air). Source I expect cars to get lighter with the removal of the spare tyre and space for it in the boot. TPMS + tyre repair kits are much cheaper to procure and easy to integrate into the dash. Considering how our people maintain these additional kits, I expect more and more people to be stranded on the roads. I feel this regulation is not so good for road safety. This is worse than having a thin and ugly space saver tyre. I feel it is easier to replace a spare tyre than fixing a puncture. Manufacturers will only make more profits from this move. They save on a spare Tyre and to make place for it in the boot. They'll not pass on any of this savings to the end customer. Dealers will make money by road side assistance for fixing punctures. And not to mention the nail mafia. They will be more happier as their hit rate will be higher now.
	(64) Thanks

22nd July 2020, 10:17	#4
AkMar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,183 Thanked: 2,604 Times	re: New government notification says vehicles with up to 8 seats need not carry a spare tyre I fully agree with your views, Hemanth. It is ridiculous to expect that every car owner will have skills to detect and fix punctures in their car. Replacing with spare wheel is relatively much easier task. Also when you have a spare wheel you can just replace wheel and be on your way. If God forbid a tyre gets flat in middle of nowhere at midnight, how are the occupants expected to detect the puncture & fix it in the dark? Situation gets worse if the place is well known for robberies. Replacing with spare wheel will take lesser time & effort in this scenario. And yes, maintenance of the kit is an altogether different topic as you said. And what if a tyre gets cut? There is no shortage of obstacles capable of cutting tyres on our roads. It will leave the vehicle stranded for sure. God help you in finding a new tyre if the car has an uncommon tyre size. Will cause big problems if there is no major city closeby. As for the manufacturers, they can also come up with a money making idea - optional spare tyre. Fat margins/profits for the accessories department of dealerships, isn't it! Last edited by AkMar : 22nd July 2020 at 10:38.
	(17) Thanks

22nd July 2020, 10:47	#6
humyum Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 2,751 Thanked: 5,425 Times	re: New government notification says vehicles with up to 8 seats need not carry a spare tyre Now manufacturers will start not having the spare tyre well built in the vehicle to increase more luggage carrying space or save on spare tyre costs. Absolutely a horrific move, in a country like India which has lot of rural areas, highways with potholes and what not, imagine hitting a pothole at 80, getting your tyre having its sidewall cracked/torn and you not having a spare tyre too because the manufacturer just followed the government guidelines and gave you tyre inflator with repair kit. I think people making these rules should come out of their cozy offices, get out of their BMW's and start thinking about the human who drives on the road.
	(19) Thanks

22nd July 2020, 10:59	#7
Turbohead Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,363 Thanked: 5,736 Times	re: New government notification says vehicles with up to 8 seats need not carry a spare tyre I'm guessing Maruti must've lobbied with MoRTH to get this proposal passed so that more weight can be saved. Rubbish move. The only beneficiaries are manufacturers who can charge a bomb for the spare tire. Also tires still aren't good enough to survive our highways, especially low profile tires which is beginning very common. If a tire gets cut due to some big pothole, no tire repair kit can fix that! Calling roadside assistance, paying a bomb for roadside assistance and the real risk of personal safety on a highway will be the bane of highway users! Terrible terrible move!
	(23) Thanks

22nd July 2020, 11:10	#8
CARDEEP Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NCR Posts: 3,248 Thanked: 2,522 Times	re: New government notification says vehicles with up to 8 seats need not carry a spare tyre In my first car Santro Xing 2003, which came with tube tyres, I used to carry 2 spare tubes, so that any tube damage does not mean I'm buying poor quality tubes in hiterland. Guess with this notification/ rule, we may need to carry spare tyre (minus the rim). Many would go for specsaver tyre alternatively. What can be said about the bureaucracy behind such legislations, who reject e-vehicles because 100-150 Kms don't serve the memsahib grocery & kitty parties runs However, this also means more space for hybrids kits (I believe few Germans have hybrid battery kit in boot) & the passenger cabin is even safer from hazardous materials.
	(3) Thanks

22nd July 2020, 11:29	#10
anandhsub BHPian Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Bangalore Posts: 497 Thanked: 1,285 Times	re: New government notification says vehicles with up to 8 seats need not carry a spare tyre Ridiculous move this. Out of the 5 or so punctures have had last 6 yrs 2 were complete blowouts because of hitting potholes. Thankfully both were in the city, even then had to use the spare wheel for a few kms before I got a new tyre. Can't even imagine driving on the highway without a spare. I hope manufacturers still leave a dedicated space in the boot for an optional spare rather than considering the tyre as a luggage.
	(3) Thanks

22nd July 2020, 11:36	#11
amsidhu BHPian Join Date: May 2020 Location: Hissar Posts: 26 Thanked: 51 Times	re: New government notification says vehicles with up to 8 seats need not carry a spare tyre Absurd decision as it assumes everyone is driving on similar roadsides, shops etc with well developed infrastructure. In a country as wide and diverse as ours, there are options aplenty where one can easily get stuck due to a tyre burst/cut/puncture and not find any help except themselves. And situation will be that when one looks in the trunk to replace the damaged tyre they find- no spare tyre ! Roadside assistance number might not even be reachable. Possible advantages 0.15 kmpl increase in mileage. Personally having a spare tyre even if its never used in 10 years is any day better than having none. Also the last breed of macho looking Jeeps/Thars/Ecosoports which proudly held a spare tyre on rear door will vanish. One more feature which we will have to add in our " features that Team BHPians miss in 2025 cars "
	(7) Thanks

22nd July 2020, 11:37	#12
Shreyans_Jain Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: HR51/HR29/HR26 Posts: 2,752 Thanked: 21,230 Times	re: New government notification says vehicles with up to 8 seats need not carry a spare tyre I don’t really mind having a space saver for a spare. But there absolutely must be a spare tire. No way I’ll buy a car if they don’t provide a stepney.
	(10) Thanks

22nd July 2020, 11:44	#14
Sutripta Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Calcutta Posts: 4,668 Thanked: 6,217 Times	re: New government notification says vehicles with up to 8 seats need not carry a spare tyre In my mind the most important question is not about the spare but about the space/ ability to carry the spare should one choose to. Wonder if BMW is dancing a jig. If it is a India specific model, space is likely to be repurposed for CNG tank, batteries for hybrids, or just plain addition to boot space. Sutripta Last edited by Sutripta : 22nd July 2020 at 11:48.
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22nd July 2020, 11:58	#15
Grease_Monkey BHPian Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Bangalore Posts: 95 Thanked: 173 Times	re: New government notification says vehicles with up to 8 seats need not carry a spare tyre Ridiculous move! How much weight can be saved by removing spare tyre, better to clear the junk most of the car owners have in the boot. Imagine trying to fix puncture with family in a remote location at night. My car has suffered puncture 3 times only over the 20,000kms, but of those 2 were relatively fast punctures where I definitely couldn't have reached tire repair shop just by filling air using compressor. I quickly changed the tyre and got it fixed next morning. I have a puncture repair kit too in the boot if required, and plan to buy a compressor too next. Replacing a spare tyre hardly takes 10 minutes for most of us who are decently fit and able. For those who have back problems or otherwise can use air compressor till they reach the tyre repair shop. TPMS is good, but what if you have a blow out, or multiple punctures in tire there is no amount of puncture repair kit that can help in that situation. My motorcycle had 13 punctures once since one of my friends had ridden over glass which thankfully weren't deep and I could ride to the shop to get it fixed. I just hope if the manufacturers remove the spare tyres, they don't remove the wheel well to place them so that those interested can purchase a spare for peace of mind, same reason I carry a small tool kit when travelling since the cars & bikes these days have a practically useless tool kit.
	(3) Thanks