The Road Transport and Highways Minister Mr. Nitin Gadkari made an announcement during an event that, ‘all the trucks that are sold in the country will have air-conditioned compartments for the drivers by 2025’. This statement was made during the event that was organized by the Mahindra Logistics in Delhi to recognise and appreciate the contributions of the driver’s society.
The drivers operate the vehicles in 43-47 degrees harsh temperature, this should not be ignored, the Minister said that he was planning to develop an air conditioned chamber for the drivers ever since he became the Minister. At the same time, concerns were raised against the higher costs that are associated with this idea.
This plan of installing air-conditioned cabins will be one of the big steps against the Indian trucks to match the vehicles that are operated in the developed divisions of the globe. Currently, the trucks in the country are available with the cabin and body built by the company depending on the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or cowl trucks which do not have the cabin and coach around the chassis of the vehicle, the third party will build the coach as per the requirements.
Gadkari mentioned that he already signed a file before attending the event that mandated the installation of ACs in the truck driver’s compartments. He emphasized the significance of ensuring the welfare of the truck drivers by providing proper facilities to them. The Minister also discussed the efforts made by the government to improve the facilities at the roadside of national highways. He also informed the audience that almost 570 wayside amenities are being developed, 170 tenders among them are already awarded and the work is started. The main aim is to install an amenity center in the highway road for every 50 Kilometers.
Gadkari conveyed the need for promoting the road design, lane driving and enhancing the training of the drivers to reduce the road accidents. He also expressed the importance of the collaboration to maximize the use of recycled materials between the manufacturers and the vehicle scrapping units.
The Chairman of AIMTC Core Committee Bal Malkit Singh said “The idea of air-conditioned cabins to the trucks by the government is a welcoming step, but the acquisition cost of the truck will be increased along with the operational cost because of higher fuel consumption. The freight charges will be accelerated as the truck community will not be able to absorb the cost completely”.
