Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the command and control centre for the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) at the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) in Pune. This centre represents a crucial administrative hub responsible for assigning star ratings to vehicles based on the new vehicle safety regulations.
Gadkari shared this milestone via a tweet, stating, "Today, I had the privilege of inaugurating the command and control centre of Bharat NCAP at Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) in Pune."
He further elaborated, saying, "In collaboration with Crash Testing Labs and Agencies, this command and control centre will play a pivotal role as a robust administrative setup for the assessment and awarding of star ratings to vehicles, aligning with the Bharat NCAP vehicle safety regulations."
Gadkari emphasized the central role of the command and control centre in this critical safety initiative, emphasizing its contribution to the enhancement of vehicle safety standards nationwide.
Bharat NCAP, officially launched by the Union government on August 22, represents a significant stride toward bolstering road safety in India, a nation plagued by high rates of road fatalities. The program is slated to commence operations on October 1.
This initiative applies to M1 category vehicles, which encompass passenger vehicles with a maximum seating capacity of eight, including the driver, and a gross vehicle weight not exceeding 3,500 kilograms. This voluntary program mandates the evaluation of the base variant of any given vehicle model, ensuring that even the most basic versions of vehicles conform to stringent safety standards.
The assessment conducted under Bharat NCAP will concentrate on three critical aspects: adult occupant protection (AOP), child occupant protection (COP), and the incorporation of safety assist technologies. Each of these facets will undergo separate evaluation, affording a comprehensive assessment of a vehicle's safety performance.
To establish the safety ratings, a series of crash tests will be executed, encompassing an offset deformable barrier frontal impact test at 64 kilometres per hour, a side impact test at 50 kilometres per hour, and a pole side impact test at 29 kilometres per hour. The outcome of these tests will result in vehicles being assigned star ratings ranging from one to five stars, with five stars signifying the highest level of safety.
Bharat NCAP represents a significant leap forward in advancing road safety in India. By offering consumers transparent and comprehensive insights into the safety performance of vehicles, it seeks to incentivize the production and purchase of safer automobiles, ultimately contributing to a reduction in road fatalities.
Â
