Maruti Suzuki welcomes Centre's decision to defer six airbag rule till next year

Day after the Centre decided to defer its decision to implement six airbag rule for cars in India by a year, Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest carmaker has welcomed it. The carmaker said that the Centre has acknowledged the concerns raised by the industry earlier against immediate implementation of the rule. The six airbag rule, which was expected to become mandatory from October this year to enhance road safety, was deferred citing supply chain issues.

RC Bhargava, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said that implementing the rule within next month would have been a major challenge for carmakers. "Industry had been seeking postponement because there was not enough time (to comply) and the market was down and it is great that the government has recognised the validity of what we were saying and they have acted very supportive of the industry," Bhargava was quoted by news agency PTI.

By deferring the date to make the norm mandatory, Bhargava thinks it is likely to give enough time for auto industry to make amends in their products by October 1 next year. "Those cars which require modifications to the body to accommodate the airbags will take a longer time, other cars can be done in the timeframe," Bhargava added.

On Wednesday, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways had announced, "Considering the global supply chain constraints being faced by the auto industry and its impact on the macroeconomic scenario, it has been decided to implement the proposal mandating a minimum of six airbags in passenger cars (M-1 Category) w.e.f 01st October 2023." Earlier this year, his ministry had issued a statement saying the six airbag rule will be implemented to enhance safety measures of a car against lateral impact.

The decision comes amid increased concerns over road safety and lack of implementation of seat belt rules after death of Cyrus Mistry, former Chairman of Tata Motors, in a road accident earlier this month. One of the key reasons behind Mistry's death is believed to be safety negligence as he was not wearing seatbelts at the time of the mishap.

In India, more than 1.55 lakh people lost their lives in road accidents last year. The NCRB released a data that says 18 people died every hour on Indian roads in 2021, the highest recorded in any year so far.

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