In a move that will help in faster and cheaper construction of roads, the Road Transport and Highways Ministry has requested States not to ask for registration and driving licences for construction equipment, particularly as they are used within the confines of mining and road-construction sites.

In an official statement, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has clarified that the heavy road making machinery is not a motor vehicle and is not covered under Motor Vehicle Act.

The Ministry has requested the States and Union Territories to not insist on registration and driving licence for suchmachines. The Road Ministry issued an advisory on the issue leaving it to the States and local authorities to take a final call.

The move comes after the Ministry received representations from road building and rehabilitation equipment users, who said cold milling machines are used to recover the asphalt material, and re-use them for making a road surface smoother. Also, this allows re-using bitumen for making roads helping save forex.

The machines are moved to the sites using trailers and within the site, they run at 5-10 km only. Also, heavy earth moving equipment makers said the dumpers, payloaders, shovels, drill master, bulldozer and rock breakers are categorised as “off the road” vehicles and used within the “boundary of mines” only.

In a letter addressed to the Transport departments of all the States and UTs, the Ministry has informed that it has received a number of representations regarding Road Building and Rehabilitation Equipment, where they raised concerns regarding road building and rehabilitation equipment under Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989.