The government has issued a notification that mandates all trucks manufactured from October 1, 2025, to be equipped with air conditioning systems for cabins to improve the working conditions of truck drivers and safety.
The vehicles manufactured on or after October 1, 2025, shall be fitted with an air conditioning system for the cabin of vehicles of N2 and N3 category, the government said in a notification.
N2 refers to the category of vehicles used for the carriage of goods with a gross vehicle weight between 3.5-12 tonnes, while N3 category vehicles are those used for goods carriage with a gross vehicle weight above 12 tonnes.
The government also notified the testing of the cabin fitted with an air conditioning system as per “IS14618:2022.” For drive-away chassis, the chassis manufacturer will have to supply an air conditioning system kit as per the standards for the bodybuilder to install the system.
Road minister Nitin Gadkari has been pushing for this for some time, in a bid to reduce accidents. Truck drivers are involved in a significant number of fatal road accidents in India. Gadkari had earlier said AC cabins would provide comfortable working conditions for truck drivers, which would help to improve their efficiency and address the problem of driver fatigue.
Truck manufacturers have said the implementation of air-conditioned cabins may result in some additional costs of around Rs 30,000 - Rs 50,000, depending on the size of the vehicle.