Draft guideline to regulate three-wheelers encouraging

That the government has made a draft guideline to regulate risky three-wheelers and similar types of vehicles on national and regional highways is encouraging. According to the draft, three-wheelers like Nasimon and Karimon and the battery-run easy-bikes will not be allowed on national and regional highways unless they have the route permit, and registration and fitness clearance, to operate on the dedicated routes. The number of such vehicles would be brought down in an effort to reduce road crashes and traffic congestion. Moreover, the drivers of the vehicles which would be allowed to operate, would also be required to have driving licenses.

Various studies done over the years have found slow-moving vehicles to be one of the major reasons for road crashes on highways. However, not much has been done to control their operations. Reportedly, a ban was imposed on the three-wheelers such as Nasiman and Kariman on 22 major national highways in 2015, which remains largely unenforced. The result of the non-enforcement of the ban is that road crashes have increased on the highways in the last few years. According to a police report, a total of 3,095 people were killed in 3,259 road crashes in the first seven months of this year, which is over 40 percent higher than that of the same period last year. And experts have blamed the plying of a large number of small vehicles on highways for this rise in the number of casualties from road crashes.

While we appreciate any steps to control the movement of slow-moving vehicles on the highways because they increase risks of accidents, we would also like to remind the government that these vehicles are very cost-effective for the local people. If they are taken out of the roads, there must be alternative modes of transport made available for people at cheaper rates. Another solution could be to improve the technical standards of these vehicles and let them operate on separate lanes, while ensuring that they are driven by skilled people with driving licenses.

That being said, we think the draft regulation is a very significant development in ensuring road safety. Since it is still in its preparatory stage, transport experts as well as ordinary people should be allowed to give their feedback to make it more people-oriented and enforceable.