The central government will launch on Tuesday the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP). The Bharat NCAP is aimed at improving road safety by raising the safety standards of motor vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tonnes. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate the programme.
An official statement said, "The programme aims to provide a tool to the car customers to make a comparative assessment of crash safety of motor vehicles available in the market. Under this programme, car manufacturers can voluntarily offer their vehicles to be tested as per the Automotive Industry Standard 197. Based on the performance in the tests, the vehicles will be awarded star ratings for adult occupants and child occupants. "Potential car customers can refer to these star ratings to compare the safety standards of different vehicles and accordingly make their purchase decision," the statement said.
Demand for safer cars is expected to increase as a result, encouraging car manufacturers to comply with customers’ needs. With higher safety standards, Indian cars also will be able to compete better in the global market, increasing the export potential of Indian car manufacturers. The programme aims to develop a safety-sensitive car market in India, the ministry said.
Gadkari last year had said that Bharat-NCAP would be a consumer centric platform that will offer customers the option to choose safer cars based on star ratings, promote healthy competition amongst automakers in India to manufacture safer vehicles and incorporate higher safety levels in new car models with regard to various identified parameters.
"I have now approved the draft GSR notification to introduce Bharat NCAP (New Car Assessment Program), wherein automobiles in India shall be accorded Star Ratings based upon their performance in crash tests," he had said, while added, “Star rating of Indian cars based on crash tests is extremely crucial not only to ensure structural and passenger safety in cars, but to also increase the export-worthiness of Indian automobiles.”
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