Union Road Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that a new law will be introduced to regulate the working hours of truck drivers in an effort to reduce road accidents by 50% before 2025.
Taking part in the "Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan" outreach project during Road Safety Week, he stated that the road ministry is dedicated to reducing traffic fatalities and injuries and has launched numerous initiatives in the areas of $Es of Road safety- engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency care.
The minister said a law will be brought in to determine the working hours for truck drivers, according to an official statement on Wednesday.
To advance the cause of safer roads for everyone, the Road Safety Week (RSW) was observed this year from January 11 to January 17 with the subject of "Swachhata Pakhwada."
The Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961 and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, lays down the maximum number of hours that a truck driver can work without taking a break. According to the rules, a truck driver can work for a maximum of 8 hours in a day, after which they must take a break of at least 8 hours before they can start driving again. Additionally, they are not allowed to drive for more than 60 hours in a week.
However, these laws are not always strictly enforced and many truck drivers work longer hours, putting themselves and other road users at risk. Union Road Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that new law will be introduced to regulate the working hours of truck drivers in an effort to reduce road accidents by 50% before 2025.
