All trucks now need air-conditioned driver cabins: Nitin Gadkari

All trucks will now need to have air-conditioned driver compartments, Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari said Monday. Speaking at an event organised by Mahindra Logistics to acknowledge the efforts of the drivers’ community, Gadkari said, “I wanted to introduce air conditioners in truck driver compartments from the day I took charge as Minister. But there were some apprehensions to this plan with people complaining about higher costs.”

“But before coming to this event today, I have signed the file that mandates air conditioning in truck driver compartments…We must ensure that people who drive the trucks are well taken care of,” he said.

Gadkari said the centre is upping efforts to improve wayside amenities on national highways. “We are making 570 road side amenities of which tenders have been awarded for 170 and work has begun. We want that there is an amenity centre at every 50 kilometres of highway stretches,” he said.

Commenting on measures to reduce road accident fatalities, Gadkari said that lane driving should be encouraged, so should better designing of roads, and training drivers.

He also said that vehicle scrapping units and manufacturers need to work in tandem to better utilise the recycled material.