AC TRUCK CABINS BY 2025

The draft notification to mandate air-conditioning systems in truck cabins by 2025 has been approved. Ashish Bhatia looks at the missing blocks that go well with the welcome move.

- Ashish Bhatia

Pratap, a Mumbai-based truck driver has been plying trucks since 2004. Seasons keep changing but his passion for his job has kept him going through hot and humid and colder climatic conditions he is faced with. This means that he has seen his office cabin, his truck cab evolve from a utility less cabin to a modern-day feature laden cabin. Having driven in N2 category truck cabs (greater than 3.5-tonne and lesser than 12-tonne) and N3 category truck cabins (12-tonne and above) he welcomes the government’s mandate of fitting AC systems in N2 and N3 truck cabins from January 01, 2025. He says trucks have come a long way from when he started in this profession on counts of comfort and safety. These changes, he feels, have made the profession more respectable and could alter the sceptical perception of the new generations. Citing his own family, Pratap spoke candidly on the willingness of the new generations to enter the demanding profession. “Earlier it was a big no but they can think about entering the profession now. He says, daily challenges persist but the situation is far better than when he first started,. Brimming with pride as he is seated in the cabin of his latest generation Heavy Duty tipper.