In a draft notification, the road transport ministry has said that three-wheelers including e-rickshaw and e-carts should be affixed at the front with white reflective tape and the rear with a red reflective tape running across the width of the body.
Without complying with these standards, commercial vehicles cannot obtain a fitness certificate and cannot illegally ply any vehicle without having a valid fitness certificate. Stationary vehicles on the road at night pose a serious risk as it is difficult to spot them and in most cases, drivers also travel cautionary signage for other vehicles. It becomes far more dangerous in cities where the number of e-rickshaws has increased significantly.
According to a 2017 road accident data, accidents involving parked vehicles claimed 2,317 lives. The 2018 report has not yet been published.
Officials said the ministry had a notice issued in November 2008 in which it had a mandatory provision to fix retro-reflective tapes on all commercial vehicles manufactured after April 2009. "It has come to our notice that the owners of most of the older vehicles, Taking advantage of this notification, are getting an exemption during their annual fit test," an official said.
As per the draft notification, the reflective tapes on the three-wheelers at the front and rear should not be less than 20mm in width. "This is a very welcome step. We have also been pushing for mandatory use of reflective tapes on bicycles and rickshaws since speeding vehicles even spot them in the dark. This is the cheapest and simplest intervention to reduce accidents and fatalities," said KK Kapila, former president of the International Road Federation.
2024 ©