The pursuit of ensuring safe, seamless, and enjoyable journeys on Indian roads has long been underway. However, this endeavour has received a significant impetus with Nitin Gadkari taking the reins as India's Minister of Road Transport and Highways. Under his leadership, the construction of roads across the nation has soared at an unprecedented pace.
Making sure truck drivers have AC cabins is just one of the minister's innovative ideas.
The Modi government road minister, who has made a name for himself by constructing a number of world-class new highways and connecting far-off, remote areas to the country's arterial roads, recently issued a mandate that all truck cabins must be equipped with air conditioning by October 2025.
Upon observing the working conditions of truck drivers in India, Gadkari recognised the detrimental effects of extreme heat on both the drivers and other road users, and decided to address the issue, coming up with the idea of having air-conditioned cabins in trucks, even though “some people objected to it saying it will increase costs".
“….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," Nitin Gadkari was quoted as saying in the media reports in June this year.
Sputnik India spoke with a number of road users, who drive cars and motorbikes in different parts of the country, and most of them welcomed the move by the Minister of Road Transport and Highways.
"Nobody ever thought of it. The idea of having an AC cabin in trucks seemed possible only in other countries, but I really appreciate that Gadkari Ji came up with it," Neeraj Saxena, a Delhi-based professional accountant, said.
"The minister is very innovative, none of his predecessors thought of it," he said, adding, "I welcome and support the decision".
Similarly, Daljeet, a cab driver, told Sputnik India that air conditioning in vehicles has become a necessity, and it should not be considered a luxury, especially given that India has such a harsh climate.
According to the annual report of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Road Accidents in India for 2022, a total of 461,312 road accidents were reported by states and union territories during the year, which claimed 168,491 lives and caused injuries to 443,366 people. It also underscores the urgency of adopting a comprehensive approach to address the issue.