NEW DELHI: India’s first car crash safety ratings floated on Tuesday received an overwhelming response with the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) receiving 30 applications for testing of different automobile models on the first day of its launch.
The scheme — Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) — launched by the union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari will be implemented from October 1. Under the scheme, car makers can offer their vehicles tested as per Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197.
Based on the performance of the car in the tests, the vehicle will be awarded star ratings on a scale of 0-5. “The ratings will help potential car customers make informed decision,” said Anurag Jain, secretary, MoRTH. “We have 1.5 lakh fatalities on roads every year. We have less number of accidents than the US but deaths are much more.