AC cabins for trucks mandatory from December 31

The central government had made air-conditioned cabins for trucks mandatory from April 1, 2017. The deadline for it has now been extended to December 31, 2017.

The Minister of State for Road, Transport, Highways and Shipping has confirmed that all N2 (3.5-12 tons) and N3 (upwards of 12 tons) category goods carriers must be fitted with air-conditioned cabins. Driver fatigue is believed to be one of the main causes of road accidents. Air-conditioned cabins are expected to improve driver comfort and reduce fatigue.

The decision has been taken in the wake of increasing road fatalities involving trucks and buses. The latest figures for the year 2015 put the total number of road deaths at 1,46,133. Out of the total number of fatalities, 11.4 percent involved truck users while 7.4 percent involved buses.

Source: ET Auto