India Developing An BNCAP Like Safety Crash Test Program For Commercial Vehicles And E-Rickshaws

India's Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is creating safety assessment ratings for trucks and commercial vehicles similar to the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP), officials announced yesterday. The government is also developing dedicated safety standards for battery-operated e-rickshaws to address current safety concerns in the commercial sector.

These initiatives were revealed by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari during the inauguration of a two-day Vehicle and Fleet Safety Workshop in Faridabad, jointly organised by the Global New Car Assessment Program (GNCAP) and the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE).

"The idea is to encourage manufacturers to improve production quality making vehicles more safe. Similarly, 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-rikshaws will improve their quality and generate more employment," Gadkari stated.

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The minister highlighted India's road safety challenges, noting that the country records 4.8 lakh road crashes annually, resulting in 1.8 lakh deaths. He outlined several other road safety initiatives underway, including regulations on truck driver working hours, establishing 32 modern driving institutes nationwide, mandatory air conditioning in driver compartments, and compulsory Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS).

The government recently introduced road safety as part of the school curriculum for classes 1-12, with modules being implemented in the current academic year. A road safety anthem by singer Shankar Mahadevan will be translated into 22 languages to spread awareness across the nation.