Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said in Lok Sabha said the Centre has decided that a rule mandating airbags in all seats of a vehicle will be introduced soon. The minister's statement comes months after he had announced that the government will make it mandatory for the carmakers to provide a minimum of six airbags in motor vehicles that can carry up to eight passengers for enhanced safety.
During the Question Hour, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey raised the issue of airbags. “Every year, more than 1.50 lakh people die in road accidents. The government has decided that the rule making it compulsory to have six airbags in a car will be introduced. The draft notification data is in October this year, but it has not been issued. When will the notification be issued, so that automobile manufacturers can introduce this feature in their vehicles,” Hindustan Times sister website Live Hindustan quoted the MP.
Gadkari replied that airbags must be installed in the cars. However, there is no such rule for the passengers who are seated in the rear seat. But the government has now decided that it will make it mandatory to install airbags for all the passengers.
“A single airbag costs just ₹800. The government is mulling the proposal,” the minister said. But he did not mention the time by which it would be notified.
On May 31, Maruti Suzuki India had urged the Centre to reconsider the proposal to make six airbags mandatory in the passenger vehicles, PTI reported. The automobile giant had said the norm will adversely hit the already shrinking small car market and may even impact jobs in the auto sector going ahead.
The auto major noted that the regulation would largely impact the cost-sensitive entry-level car segment -- which has been facing headwinds and witnessing dwindling sales over the last three years -- making it even more difficult for two-wheeler users to upgrade to small cars.
{{/usCountry}}The auto major noted that the regulation would largely impact the cost-sensitive entry-level car segment -- which has been facing headwinds and witnessing dwindling sales over the last three years -- making it even more difficult for two-wheeler users to upgrade to small cars.
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