Stricter safety norms for construction equipment vehicles proposed

New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS) The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has come out with a draft notification for various safety requirements for commercial equipment vehicles running on public roads.An official statement on Sunday said that the ministry has issued a draft notification GSR 502 (E), dated August 13, to address the issue of safety requirements, including of the operator, while such machines are running on public roads along with other vehicles.Currently, certain safety requirements are already mandated for Construction Equipment Vehicles in the CMVR, 1989.The latest notification aims to introduce AIS-160 (Automotive Industry Standard), to introduce several safety requirements including visual display requirements, requirements for operator station and maintenance areas, non-metallic fuel tanks, seat belt and seat belt anchorages among others."Construction Equipment Vehicles are extensively used for carrying out various infrastructure projects. To provide for safety of operator and to ensure safety while such machines are running on public roads along with other vehicles, it is proposed to notify various safety requirements for such vehicles," the statement said.The ministry has sought suggestions or comments on the matter within 30 days from the date of notification.
--IANS rrb/sn/vd