The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is planning to introduce a Safety Assessment Rating System for trucks and commercial vehicles, modelled on the country’s Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP), India’s indigenous star-rating system for passenger vehicles.
“The idea is to encourage manufacturers to improve production quality and enhance vehicle safety standards. Similarly, the government is actively working on developing standards and a safety assessment framework for battery-operated e-rickshaws, which currently face critical safety issues. Improving safety in e-rickshaws will not only enhance product quality but also generate employment opportunities,” said Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways.
Mr. Gadkari was speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day Vehicle and Fleet Safety Workshop, jointly organised by the Global New Car Assessment Program (GNCAP) and the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) at the College of Traffic Management, Faridabad.
Highlighting the urgency, Mr. Gadkari noted, “India records the highest number of fatal road accidents globally, with approximately 4.8 lakh crashes and 1.8 lakh deaths annually. Our top priorities are enhancing road safety, expanding safe highways, improving vehicle safety, and accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles.”
He further outlined the government’s objective to reduce logistics costs from the current 14–16% to 9% over the next few years, recognizing the critical role of the automobile sector in India’s economic growth.
Mr. Gadkari also emphasized regulatory initiatives for the trucking sector, stating, “We are working on new legislation to define working hours for truck drivers, who currently drive 13–14 hours per day. To address the shortage of truck drivers, we plan to set up 32 state-of-the-art driver training institutes across the country. Additionally, the Ministry has made air-conditioning mandatory in driver cabins and has mandated the use of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) to support drivers and reduce accidents.”
In a major initiative to build a culture of road safety, Mr. Gadkari announced, “Road safety education has been introduced as part of the school curriculum for Classes 1 to 12 starting this academic year. A new road safety anthem, composed by eminent singer Shankar Mahadevan, will be translated into 22 Indian languages to promote road safety awareness nationwide.”
Dr. Rohit Baluja, President of IRTE, explained the broader context of the workshop:
“The two-day workshop will review the progress made globally and in India in vehicle safety since 2000 and identify priority actions required to achieve further improvements by 2030 and beyond. Special sessions will focus on fleet safety, motorcycle safety, and the implementation of the Global Plan vehicle safety recommendations across G20 economies, including India.”
Mr. David Ward, President Emeritus of GNCAP, lauded India’s progress, stating,
“Today, consumers in India increasingly have access to vehicles carrying GNCAP and BNCAP safety ratings, providing them with better choices for safer vehicles. This is a significant milestone aligned with the UN’s goal of halving road traffic deaths by 2030.”