Permitting “unsafe and untested” vehicles like quadricycles for public transport would lead to more accidents, said experts at a road safety seminar held here on Saturday.
Organised by Indians for Road Safety, the panel of speakers at the seminar included experts in the area of road, infrastructure, civil society and judiciary.
Expressing concern about the rising number of fatalities on Indian roads, experts slammed the move of replacing auto rickshaws with quadricyles and said that stringent safety tests must be made mandatory before a vehicle is allowed on the roads.
Last year, a petition opposing the introduction of these vehicles on city roads was also filed before the Delhi High Court but the court refused to stay the Union Government’s notification allowing their operations.
Speakers in the seminar, however, had a different opinion on the subject. Tripurari Ray, Advocate, Supreme Court of India said that the European concept may be for the last mile connectivity but the accident rate and the efficacy of safety measures must be proven in crash tests before they can be on the roads.
He added that replacement of allegedly unsafe auto-rickshaws by another unsafe vehicle like quadricycle must not be allowed, as corporate profit is being placed before human lives.
Mr. Ray further accused the government of not conducting a proper study and prescription of adequate safety standards before the introduction of such vehicles. Quadricycles are permitted under the Motor Vehicle law in four wheeler category enabling manufacturers to use materials of their choice, which will be lighter in weight and greater in risk to occupants of a Quadricycle.
“Quadricycles, despite being a four-wheeler vehicle is exempted from Frontal Crash test despite the Centre admitting in courts of law to prescribe frontal crash test for quadricycles; whereas other four-wheeled vehicles are required to undergo Frontal Crash test,” he said.
Former Chief Justice of India Justice G.B. Patnaik, one of the speakers, said that some sections of the automobile industry are trying to introduce potentially unsafe vehicles like quadricycles on the premise that anything on four wheels is safer than those that run only on three.
“The government should insist that any new vehicle trying to get on to Indian roads are rigorously tested so as to minimise the damage already caused by road accidents,” he said.
Experts also pointed that Indian small cars failed in crash test conducted by Euro NCAP, an internationally reputed NGO. It reveals the fact that no crash tests are conducted by Indian testing agencies, according to Indians for Road Safety. Testing agency ARAI has now created a full-fledged testing facility.
“No safety tests are carried out after manufacture and before registration of the vehicles, even though the Motor Vehicle Law mandates it,” a statement issued by Indians for Road Safety said.
However, according to Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Muktesh Chander, the number of quadricycles currently plying on the roads was almost negligible, which is why analysing its impact on traffic or road safety was not possible at this stage.
Organised by Indians for Road Safety, the panel of speakers at a seminar slammed the move of replacing auto rickshaws with quadricyles
