Owners of two wheelers will be allowed to carry cargo with effect from April 2016 according to official information and this is a welcome development indeed.

Owners can fit boxes in their vehicles for carrying immediate medical provisions or other goods. Vehicles will be fitted with light weight cargo boxes. These vehicles should be 550 mm long as per regulations and the width allowed will stand at around 510 mm. The maximum weight of the box could be fixed at 30 kg. A draft notification has been issued by the road transport ministry for these two wheeler goods vehicles. Pillion riders will not be allowed to ride motorcycles that are fitted with cargo carrying boxes according to the notification.

According to ministry sources, an apex committee has been formed for fixing vehicle standards and this committee has offered its stamp of approval for two wheeler ambulances or goods vehicles. This has been deemed a separate category of vehicles and this proposal had been floated in January 2013 by the ministry. This kind of ambulance will help in the provision of emergency medical care to people living in hugely congested, crowded and narrow zones, areas and by-lanes which are inaccessible for ambulances.

This ambulance category is immensely popular in several countries including the United Kingdom, United States of America, Sweden, Australia and others. This ambulance cannot offer patient transport and can only offer first aid services. This decision, if executed, will definitely be a landmark move in the country.