In an important development, the Ministry of Road Transport has issued a draft notification regarding the things that will be required in M1 trains, as reported by Zee Business reporter Ambarish Pandey.

The M1 trains are those in which eight people including the driver can travel. The notification has also stated that suggestions and objections from all stakeholders are invited within 30 days. The requirements in M1 trains will be incorporated from October 1, 2022.

As of now, seat belts are mandatory for the two front seats. Now the front looking will be made mandatory on all seats.

“I have signed a file yesterday to make it mandatory for automakers to provide three-point seat belts for all the front facing passengers in a car,” Union Minister of Road Transport Nitin Gadkari said this on Thursday, as per a PTI report.

Incidentally, last month, the ministry said it will make it mandatory for carmakers to provide a minimum of six airbags in motor vehicles that can carry up to 8 passengers for enhanced safety of occupants from October this year.

As many as 1.5 lakh people die every year in 5 lakh road accidents in the country and need of the hour is to create mass awareness for road safety measures by information dissemination, Gadkari said on Thursday.

According to him, a system is being proposed for star rating of vehicles based on the standards and protocol to improve safety.

Electronic Stability Control, Advanced Emergency Braking Systems, ease of mobility for Divyangjan, Driver Drowsiness Attention Warning System (DDAWS), Blind Spot Information System, Advanced Driver Assisting system and Lane Departure Warning System, are among the safety initiatives being implemented, he said.

Further, Gadkari emphasised the importance of reducing sound pollution and use of electric vehicles.

The minister also said that he will launch Toyota’s vehicle, that will run on green hydrogen, on March 15.