Trucks carrying loose loads to be hard topped; govt to notify rule soon

NEW DELHI: In a move to address the menace of loose items, such as soil, construction materials and municipal waste, often falling from both uncovered or tarpaulin-covered trucks, the govt will soon make it mandatory for these vehicles to have “mechanised covering” — automated or machine-assisted methods for covering.

This will be part of the updated Truck Body Code. Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari has said the code will be notified soon. Officials said the changes to the code have been adopted by a committee under the road transport ministry that has representatives from the industry as well. TOI has learnt that the truck-manufacturing industry has sought two years to implement the code while the govt is keen to roll it out in the next one year.

There have been several Supreme Court orders directing proper covering of trucks carrying loose and protruding loads, but there has been little compliance due to poor enforcement.

Officials said the Automotive Industry Standards (AIS)-093, dealing with the code has been published. This addresses issues related to unsafe body building practices, structural weaknesses, overloading, instability and non-uniform vehicle dimensions. The AIS provisions for minimum safety standards, structural integrity, dimensional uniformity and roadworthiness of truck bodies built on approved chassis.

Officials said the revised code will incorporate the requirement of AC driver cabin, advanced driver assistance systems for improving safety, and updated provisions for under-run protection devices.

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