Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said that auto manufacturers will soon have to install air conditioners inside driver cabins of trucks. Congress was quick to respond to it and said that the move is an “Impact of Rahul Gandhi’s visit on Modi government”.
The grand-old party took to Twitter to share a video of the timeline of events and said, “Impact of Rahul Gandhi’s visit on Modi government – Now there will be AC cabin for truck drivers in India too.”
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The Congress made this claim days after Rahul Gandhi took a truck ride from Washington DC to New York with truck driver Taljinder Singh. During their 190-km long journey, the two discussed the differences in the working conditions of Indian and American truck drivers, with Gandhi recalling his earlier truck rides in India.
Earlier in May, Gandhi had taken a truck ride in Haryana, from Murthal to Ambala, in an effort to understand the issues and problems faced by the drivers.
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‘Have signed file to mandate AC in driver cabins’
Speaking at ‘Desh Chaalak-Recognising those who move India’ event in New Delhi, the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister said he has signed the file that would mandate air conditioning in truck driver compartments.
Nitin Gadkari also noted India has a shortage of drivers, resulting in truckers operating 14-16 hours a day. “In other countries, there is a restriction on the number of hours a trucker can be on duty,” he said.
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However, Gadkari did not mention the deadline for the rollout of AC-fitted trucks. Some reports suggest that the rollout will be from 2025, PTI reported.