New safety rules for all vehicles soon

ABS will become mandatory on all two-wheelers with engine capacity above 125cc by 2017

An anti-lock braking system (ABS), which prevents skidding in the event of sudden braking, might become a regular feature on two-wheelers soon. However, no timeline has been set for making ABS mandatory for other categories of vehicles such as cars.

“We’ll implement new safety norms in a phased manner. These would be made available for all vehicles including trucks, buses, two-wheelers and even three-wheelers. For two-wheelers, safety feature like ABS will become mandatory. We will be coming out with a notification," said Rashmi Urdhwareshe, director, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

If implemented, this safety-enhancing technology will increase the overall cost of the vehicle. At present, ABS comes as an optional fitment on the top-end variants of hatchbacks and sedan, but is a regular on premium vehicles. The government has also been reportedly planning to make air bags mandatory for all passenger cars. This plan, however, is opposed by car makers who fear the additional costs will put further pressure on sales.

Three-wheelers, used mainly in dense city transport, had been devoid of any safety mechanism. However, the government's new rules will take this into account. “Three-wheelers, which haven’t had any safety components, will get the new standards soon,” added Urdhwareshe.

About Rs 1,000 crore has been earmarked for the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP), a programme kicked off by the United Progressive Alliance government. “Our requirement was Rs 14,000 crore, but to begin with, we have received Rs 1,000 crore for two years for NEMMP,” said heavy industries & public enterprises minister Anant Geete. The sanction of Rs 1,000 crore will allow firms that have been working on hybrid technology solutions to start rolling out products.