Air conditioned driver cabins in trucks to be mandatory soon: Nitin Gadkari

In a big respite to the truck drivers, Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari proposed all commercial vehicle makers install air conditioners inside the driver cabins.

"All trucks will now need to have air-conditioned driver compartments. I wanted to introduce air conditioners in truck driver compartments from the day I took charge as Minister. But there were some apprehensions about this plan, with people complaining about higher costs,” the minister said at an auto industry event on Monday.

Acknowledging the challenges of truck drivers during severe weather conditions Gadkari further said, “Our drivers operate vehicles in harsh temperatures of 43–47 degrees, and we must imagine the condition of drivers. Today, I have signed the file that all truck cabins will be AC cabins."

The Union Minister also emphasised the need to have more favourable conditions for Indian truck drivers and highlighted the need to set up more driving schools across the country to train a more skilled workforce in the transport sector. "At present, a truck driver usually drives around 15 hours at a stretch every day, impacting his physical as well as mental health. I want the working hours for drivers to be fixed soon, like they are in other countries," he added.

The minister did not specify the deadline as to when people can expect those trucks fitted with AC cabins to be rolled out, however, some reports suggest that the rollout will be in 2025.

Welcoming the proposal, Satyakam Arya – Managing Director and CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) said that the productivity of fleets will get a positive boost due to the implementation of air-conditioned cabins. "We wholeheartedly welcome and support this step since it will not only provide a comfortable working environment for the drivers, but it will also enhance safety on the roads by reducing driver fatigue and reducing the incidence of hearing loss among drivers with prolonged working hours in non-air-conditioned cabins," Arya said.

He also mentioned that DICV has been well ahead of the curve with BharatBenz trucks offering air-conditioned cabins for the past 10 years, even though only a blower has been mandated so far. "Today, over 60% of BharatBenz truck sales include air-conditioned cabins, which shows that Indian fleet owners are consciously addressing the need to provide more comfort and safety features in their fleets, irrespective of regulations. We expect that the mandate of air-conditioned cabins will finally also eliminate the cowl truck cabins, which are prevalent in the Indian market even today," Arya added. 

Welcoming the proposal, India's largest commercial vehicle maker, Tata Motors said this decision will benefit the health and safety of drivers as the long hours of truck driving will become more comfortable.

"We welcome the Government’s recent announcement to make truck cabins mandatorily air-conditioned from 2025. India’s growing trucking industry is facing the challenge of attracting and retaining skilled truck drivers. We currently offer AC cabins as an option and will comfortably comply with the mandate to offer them across our entire range of trucks well within the deadline. Further, in the small commercial vehicle and pick-up category too, we are seeing a definite trend towards more comfortable, feature-rich, and AC-equipped vehicles. The tremendous success and growing demand of our Intra range of vehicles in a short period of time exemplify this," added a Tata Motors spokesperson.

Also read: ‘Three-fourths of vehicles delivered in our core markets by 2025 will have safety systems that surpass legal requirements’: Satyakam Arya