ABS must for all new heavy vehicles, tempo trucks within a year

NEW DELHI: Installation of anti-lock braking system (ABS) will be mandatory in all new heavy vehicles and tempo trucks over the next one year. The government made this announcement at a meeting with representatives from major vehicle manufacturers on Thursday.
ABS offers improved vehicle control and decreases halts on dry and slippery surfaces, reducing chances of accidents. The device releases braking pressure up to 20 times a second."We will soon notify the rule and ABS will be an in-built feature of all heavy vehicles. It will help reduce accident rates since brake failure is a serious issue for heavy vehicles. At a later stage, there can be similar rules for four-wheelers too," said a ministry official.
While manufacturers had been claiming that ABS installation would increase vehicle cost by about Rs 40,000 per body, Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) stated that the device is available at Rs 15,000 per vehicle.
While government claimed it as an achievement citing "consensus" among vehicle manufacturers, consumers said safety measures have been "piecemeal". S P Singh of IRTFT, an independent transport research body, said, "Here unless vehicle manufacturers give consent government does not take such decision for road safety. It's a very crucial decision. But why can't the manufacturers here comply with best safety norms when they can provide the same overseas? It's only after parliamentary panels have pushed road safety aspects, something is being done."