Nitin Gadkari says India will soon launch safety ratings for trucks and heavy vehicles

In a major development towards improving road safety in India, Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister of road transport and highways, said that a plan is in the works to introduce safety ratings for trucks and commercial vehicles on the lines of the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP).

“The idea is to encourage manufacturers to improve the production quality, making vehicles safer,” Gadkari said while inaugurating a two-day workshop on vehicle and fleet safety, jointly organised by the Global New Car Assessment Program (GNCAP) and the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE). “Similarly, the government is already working on standards and 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,” he added.

India accounts for the highest number of fatal road accidents, with 4.8 lakh road crashes every year resulting in 1.8 lakh deaths. “The ministry is also working on law to determine the working hours for trick drivers at present they drive for 13-14 hours a day,” Gadkari said.

In order to effectively tackle the paucity of truck drivers in India, the government also plans to set up 32 state-of-the-art driving institutes across the country, Gadkari said. “Air-conditioning of driver compartments have already been mandatory by the ministry. Advanced Driver-Assistance system (ADAS) to assist drivers has also been made mandatory.”

The decision come close on the heels of the government introducing road safety as part of school curriculum for students of class 1-12, with the modules being introduced in the current academic year. The two-day workshop will review progress in vehicle safety worldwide—and in India—since 2000, and the priority actions needed to achieve further improvements by 2030 and beyond, according to Dr Rohit Baluja, President, IRTE. 

“In particular, the meeting will examine efforts to improve automobile safety worldwide by reviewing the progress made by the G20 major economies, including India, to implement the Global Plan vehicle safety recommendations and feature special sessions on fleet and motorcycle safety,” he added.