Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limit all rights reserved. Many trailers used with tractors, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, are made by disorganized manufacturers who do not follow safety norms. (HT) Summary Many trailers used with tractors, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, are made by disorganized manufacturers who do not follow safety norms. The vast majority of these trailers are not even registered and are technically illegal on public roads. New -delhi: The government plans to tighten checks and strictly enforce tractor safety norms, to various fatal accidents using the vehicles to transport small loads, two people who are aware of the case said. Many trailers used with tractors, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, are made by disorganized manufacturers who do not follow safety norms. They do not have proper braking systems, taillights, reflectors and suspension systems. The vast majority of these trailers are not even registered and are technically illegal on public roads. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, after consultations with tractor manufacturers and farm vehicle industries, intends to step in and ensure that trailers follow safety codes, says the first of the two persons quoted earlier, both on the condition of anonymity. Registration gap according to traders is in most cases sold with trailers. But government data shows a difference between tractor and trailer registrations. So far, this calendar year has been sold about 34,000 trailers for agricultural and personal use in the country, according to the government’s vehicle registration portal Vahan. Of these, large tractor manufacturers sold very few trailers. Tata Motors sold 26 trailer to date to date, while Mahindra and Mahindra sold 486. Meanwhile, the Vahan data showed that about 26,600 was sold by ‘local trailer manufacturer’. About 41,000 trailers are each registered in calendar 2023 and 2024. In contrast, according to the Tractor and Mechanization Association (TMA), total domestic tractor sales stood at 939,725 units in FY25 and 867.085 units in FY24. Inquiries were sent by e -mail to the Ministry of Road Transport, and highways remained unanswered until perty. According to a study published by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 2023, in 2020 there were about 1.7 million trailers in the country, mostly in rural areas for agricultural purposes. Certainly, trailer registration is mandatory, even if it is sold with a tractor for agricultural purposes. “In India, less than 2% of the tractor trailers are registered. The majority of trailers manufactured by local sellers do not meet safety standards, and precious lives are lost in accidents every year,” says S. Velmurugan, Chief Scientist and Head of Department, Traffic Engineering and Safety, CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, Delhi. Big trailer and tractor makers make representations to the government regarding safety of trailers, said the second person quoted earlier. “Many of these trailers do not follow basic safety standards because there is very little supervision of implementing regulations for trailers,” this person said. According to tractor makers, it is difficult to determine what the market size of tractor wagons is, as the sector is fragmented and is mostly disorganized. Rough estimates by tractor and trailers manufacturers place the size of the industry on over £ 3,000. Depending on the size and functions, a trailer also costs between £ 1.5 lakh and £ 9 lakh. The estimates of the industry also indicate that 70-80% of the trailers sold in rural and semi-urban regions are now coming from the disorganized sector. Some large manufacturers of original equipment (OEMs) are also in the mix. But these vehicles, especially those manufactured by small, disorganized manufacturers, often do not have basic safety functions such as braking systems, taillights and reflectors, a senior executive working with a tractor manufacturer asked not to be identified. Accident risks have reported several cases of injuries and deaths due to trailer-related accidents over the years. In an Indian Council of Agricultural Research Studies, it was found that between 2014 and 2020 accidents with trailers caused up to 12.028 injuries and 5.720 deaths. Overloading of goods can lead to the trailer that is reversed, and is an important reason for trailers in the country, according to a 2023 study of tractor-trailer mechanisms in the rural India by ICAR. The study also identified that a lack of brakes, sensors, rear -view mirrors, suspension systems and improper hook and connection to a tractor are limited to trailer safety. According to trailer manufacturers, as there is no strict implementation of standards, the trailer manufacturers are often compromised on safety. “We need infrastructure to equip tractor trailers with braking systems, indicators, tail lights, blinking lights on sideways. It is clear that these features make the trailer expensive, ranging from £ 10,000 to 1.5 lakh. In the absence of a tighter implementation of standards, the customers ask the costs. Choice became for small farmers, carriers and rural businesses. The market has become very competitive over the past ten years with workshops along the road that have offered custom trailers, undermining safety as well as viability for organized players, “says Jagdeep Singh, owner of agricultural machinery manufacturer Dhiman Agro Industries in Punjab’s Dhuri. Produced to these trailers often bypasses this trailer, which poses the risks to users and other commuters, ‘said a spokesperson for a leading trailer.
Center to tighten safety controls on tractor trailers to fatal accidents
