AC in Truck Cabins Soon, Nod to Draft Notification for Comfortable Working Conditions for Drivers

Air conditioning will soon be mandatory in truck cabins, addressing driver fatigue on long routes and improving their efficiency. All N2 and N3 categories of trucks will have AC cabins and this will provide comfortable working conditions for truck drivers, said union transport minister Nitin Gadkari.

Category N2 are vehicles with a maximum mass between 3.5 tonnes and 12 tonnes while category N3 are those with a maximum mass above 12 tonnes.

A much-needed step, officials aware of the matter said it might take a couple of months for the rule to become reality.

“Approved the draft notification to mandate the installation of air-conditioning systems in the cabins of trucks belonging to categories N2 and N3. Truck drivers play a crucial role in ensuring road safety. This decision marks a significant milestone in providing comfortable working conditions for truck drivers, thereby improving their efficiency and addressing the problem of driver fatigue,” Gadkari tweeted on Thursday.

This was a long pending demand and much debated. It was opposed as it would increase the cost of trucks. A ministry official told News18 that this will transform the journey for truck drivers and enhance road safety.

“Normally, truck drivers have to drive for longer hours on open roads. They have to drive even at a temperature of 45 degrees Celsius with no comfort at all. It is time that we think about them. While this may take a couple of months, at least a step has been taken,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

In June, Gadkari had announced that the policy was being drafted and said it was important to take care of truck drivers.

In 2021, more than 12,000 accidents related to trucks and lorries were recorded in which over 5,000 people were killed on national highways alone. The death toll across India was around 9,500, as per ministry data.