(MENAFN- Live Mint)

New Delhi: The government plans to tighten checks and strictly enforce safety norms for tractor trailers, after several fatal accidents involving the vehicles that are used to transport small loads, two people aware of the matter said.

Many trailers used with tractors, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, are made by unorganized manufacturers that don't follow safety norms. They lack proper braking systems, tail lights, reflectors, and suspension systems. A vast majority of these trailers are not even registered, and are technically plying illegally on public roads.

The ministry of road transport and highways, after consultations with tractor manufacturers and farm vehicle industries, is planning to step in and ensure that trailers follow safety codes, said the first of the two persons cited earlier, both of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity.

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Registration gap

According to dealers, tractors are sold along with trailers in most cases. But government data shows a disparity between tractor and trailer registrations.

So far this calendar year, about 34,000 trailers for agricultural and personal use have been sold in the country, according to the government's vehicle registration portal Vahan . Of these, large tractor manufacturers have sold very few trailers. Tata Motors has sold 26 trailer this year till date, while Mahindra & Mahindra has sold 486. Meanwhile, the Vahan data showed that about 26,600 were sold by "local trailer manufacturer".

About 41,000 trailers were registered each in calendar 2023 and 2024. In contrast, according to the Tractor and Mechanization Association (TMA), the total domestic tractor sales stood at 939,725 units in FY25 and 867,085 units in FY24.

Queries emailed to the ministry of road transport, and highways remained unanswered till press time.

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According to a study published in 2023 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, there were about 1.7 million trailers operating in the country in 2020, mostly in rural areas for agricultural purposes. To be sure, trailer registration is mandatory, even if it is sold along with a tractor for agricultural purposes. "In India, less than 2% of tractor trailers are registered. The majority of trailers manufactured by local vendors don't meet safety standards, and every year precious lives are lost in accidents," said S. Velmurugan, chief scientist, and head of department, traffic engineering and safety, CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, Delhi.

Large trailer and tractor makers are making representations to the government regarding safety of trailers, said the second person cited earlier. "A lot of these trailers do not follow basic safety standards, as there is very little oversight on the implementation of regulations for trailers," said this person.

According to tractor makers, it's difficult to ascertain the market size of tractor trailers since the sector is fragmented and mostly unorganized. However, rough estimates by tractor and trailer manufacturers put the size of the industry at more than ₹3,000 crore. Also, depending upon size and features, a trailer costs anywhere between ₹1.5 lakh and ₹9 lakh.

Also, industry estimates suggest that 70-80% of tractor trailers sold in rural and semi-urban regions now come from the unorganized sector. A few major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are also in the mix. But these vehicles, especially those made by small, unorganized manufacturers, often lack basic safety features such as braking systems, tail lights, and reflectors, a senior executive working with a tractor manufacturer said, requesting not to be identified.

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Accident risks

Multiple cases of injuries and deaths due to trailer-related accidents have been reported over the years. An Indian Council of Agricultural Research study found that between 2014 and 2020, tractor-trailer accidents caused up to 12,028 injuries and 5,720 deaths.

Overloading of goods can lead to the trailer overturning, and is a key reason for trailer accidents in the country, according to a 2023 study of tractor-trailer mechanisms in rural India by ICAR. The study also identified that lack of brakes, sensors, rearview mirrors, suspension systems, and improper hitching and tethering to a tractor are limitations to trailer safety.

According to trailer manufacturers, since there is no strict implementation of standards, trailer makers often compromise on safety. "We have required infrastructure to equip tractor trailers with braking systems, indicators, tail lights, blinking lights on sideways. Obviously these features make the trailer costly, which ranges from ₹10,000- ₹1.5 lakh. However, in the absence of stricter implementation of standards, the customers ask us to cut down the cost by removing these features," said a trailer manufacturer from Maharashtra.

These custom-built trailers, offering low cost and flexibility, have become the preferred choice for small farmers , transporters, and rural businesses.

"We have been in the business for the last 35 years. In the last 10 years, the market has become very competitive with roadside workshops offering custom-built trailers, which undermine safety as well as viability for organized players," said Jagdeep Singh, owner of agricultural machinery maker Dhiman Agro Industries in Punjab's Dhuri.

Industry executives said that they have raised concerns over the quality and safety of trailers produced in the unorganized sector.“These trailers often bypass safety norms, posing risks to users and other road commuters," said a spokesperson of a leading trailer manufacturing company.

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