6-airbag deadline pushed back to October next year

New Delhi: Barely two days before the proposed timeline for implementation of mandatory six airbags in all cars, Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the new norm will be effective from October 2023, considering “global supply chain constraints” and feedback from the industry. Earlier, the ministry had proposed to implement the rule from October 1 this year.

- Dipak Dash

“Considering the global supply chain constraints being faced by the auto industry and its impact on the macroeconomic scenario, it has been decided to implement the proposal mandating a minimum of six airbags in passenger cars (M-1 category) from October 1, 2023,” Gadkari tweeted.

Making it clear that the proposed rule has only been deferred and not scrapped, he also tweeted, “Safety of all passengers travelling in motor vehicles irrespective of their cost and variants is the foremost priority.”