India to soon launch safety assessment rating for trucks and heavy vehicles: Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi, April 24: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways plans to launch a Safety assessment rating for trucks and commercial vehicles along the lines of the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat NCAP), the country's own four-wheel star rating system, said Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for road transport and Highways, onThursday.

"The idea is to encourage manufacturers to improve the production quality, making vehicles safer. Similarly, the government is already working on standards and a safety assessment system for battery-operated e-rickshaws in the country, as they suffer from safety issues. The safety improvement in e-rickshaws will improve their quality and generate more employment," said Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, while inaugurating a two-day workshop on Vehicle and Fleet safety jointly organised by the New Car Assessment Program (GNCAP ) and the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE).

The Bharat New Car Assessment Programme was launched by Gadkari in 2023 and aims to enhance road safety by elevating vehicle safety standards for up to 3.5-tonne vehicles in India.

"India accounts for the highest number of fatal road accidents, with 4.8 lakh road crashes each year resulting in 1.8 lakh deaths. the government's top priorities are road safety, expansion of safe highways and vehicle safety and bolstering electric vehicles. The ministry is also working on reducing logistics costs to 9 per cent in the next couple of years from the present 14-16 per cent, as the automobile industry plays a key role in India's economic growth," said Gadkari.

"The Ministry of Roadways is also working on a law to determine the working hours for truck drivers; at present, they drive for 13-14 hours a day. As the country is facing a shortage of truck drivers, the government also plans to set up 32 state-of-the-art driving institutes across the country. Air conditioning of driver compartments has already been mandatory by the Ministry. Advanced Driver-Assistance System (ADAS) to assist drivers has also been made mandatory, " the minister said.

Reader Comments

R

Rahul K.

This is a much-needed initiative! Our truck drivers deserve safer vehicles and better working conditions. The AC cabins mandate is especially welcome in our harsh summers. 👏

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Priya M.

While I appreciate the safety focus, I wonder how quickly these ratings will be implemented. We've seen good policies get delayed in execution before. Hope this doesn't take years to roll out.

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Sanjay T.

As a truck driver for 15 years, I welcome these changes! The 14-hour shifts are brutal. Safety ratings + reasonable hours = lives saved. Thank you for finally addressing this!

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Ananya R.

The e-rickshaw safety standards are overdue! So many accidents happen because of poor vehicle quality. This could really transform last-mile transport safety. 🙌

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Vikram S.

Good steps, but what about enforcement? We have great regulations on paper but implementation is weak. Need strict penalties for manufacturers who don't comply with safety standards.

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Neha P.

Reducing logistics costs while improving safety is a tough balance. Hope the government consults actual truck operators to make these policies practical and effective.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.