NEW DELHI: The Centre is mulling making it mandatory for tyre manufacturers to mix silicon with rubber to improve quality and also use nitrogen to help prevent road accidents, Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari said Wednesday. Gadkari said the accident on the Yamuna Expressway was unfortunate and an Uttar Pradesh government-appointed panel will look into the reasons for the mishap.
The central government will ask the UP government to implement the committee’s recommendations and take strict action against those responsible for the accident and the deaths. The minister said the cement concrete highway led to 133 deaths in 2016, 146 in 2017 and 11 in 2018. “We are considering making it mandatory for tyre manufacturers to mix silicon with rubber in tyres and fill them with nitrogen instead of normal air,” the minister said.
As per international standards, silicon is mixed with rubber, and nitrogen is filled in tyres to reduce the chances of a tyre bursting due to excessive heat. Gadkari said the central government has prepared a Rs 14,000-crore plan for preventing road accidents that could help save precious lives.
Gadkari plea on Bill
Gadkari is also in favour of technological advancement in automobiles to prevent accidents. He said a Bill on road safety is pending in Parliament and urged members to pass it