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The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will soon introduce a safety assessment rating system for trucks and commercial vehicles, similar to the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP), said Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday. He announced this initiative during the inauguration of 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 minister said that the idea is to encourage manufacturers to improve production quality and make vehicles safer. He also revealed that the ministry is working on safety assessment standards for battery-operated e-rickshaws.
New Standards for Commercial Vehicles
“The idea is to encourage manufacturers to improve the production quality, making vehicles safer,” said Nitin Gadkari. He added that the government is actively working on a safety assessment system for battery-operated e-rickshaws, which face several safety issues. “The safety improvement in e-rickshaws will improve their quality and generate more employment,” he said.
India’s Road Safety Concerns
Gadkari noted that the Bharat NCAP, launched in 2023, aims to enhance road safety by raising safety standards for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes 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,” he said. He emphasized that the government’s top priorities include road safety, expansion of safe highways, vehicle safety, and bolstering electric vehicles.
Driver Welfare and Logistics Costs
The ministry is working on a law to regulate truck drivers’ working hours. “At present, they drive for 13-14 hours a day,” Gadkari said. To address the shortage of truck drivers, the government will set up 32 state-of-the-art driving institutes across the country. He said air conditioning in driver compartments has already been made mandatory, and the Advanced Driver-Assistance System (ADAS) is now also a requirement. The ministry aims to reduce logistics costs from 14–16% to 9% in the coming years.
(With Inputs From ANI)
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