New Delhi, September 13 – India’s Minister for Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, announced on Wednesday that the Ministry does not intend to mandate the inclusion of six airbags in cars.
Addressing concerns about a proposal to make six airbags mandatory in cars starting from October 1, Gadkari explained, “Now people are cautious, and if a car has six airbags as part of its economic model, people will prefer to choose that car. Most manufacturers are already incorporating this feature, so there’s no need to enforce it as a requirement. Those carmakers who opt not to include it are encountering challenges in their sales. To foster healthy competition, they must provide six airbags. We don’t want to make it mandatory.”
Regarding road accidents, the Minister expressed concern, noting, “Every year, we witness five lakh accidents and 1.50 lakh accident-related deaths. Sixty percent of these fatalities involve young people aged 18 to 34. It’s very unfortunate. We have taken various preventive measures concerning road and automobile engineering. We have also passed road safety laws. In the future, we will aim to transport accident victims promptly to hospitals. We are working on developing hospitals near highways, but education plays a crucial role. Human behavior is a significant challenge, and we are making efforts to educate the public.”
Discussing the automobile sector, Gadkari commended its growth, stating, “The growth is a source of pride for India. The total size of the automobile industry stands at Rs 12.50 lakh crore. One challenge that the industry faces is the import figure of Rs 1.63 lakh crore. We need to reduce this import dependency and leverage the best technology to create products of international standards, a challenge that the industry needs to address.”
He also highlighted the remarkable expansion of the automobile industry, noting, “When I took office as the minister, the automobile industry’s size was Rs 4.50 lakh crore, and today it stands at Rs 12.50 lakh crore.”
