Long-Nose Trucks Making A Comeback, Decision Rests With The Centre

The Indian government is planning to bring back the long-nose trucks in India. The long-nose trucks, prominent in the 1990s, is a design of trucks that have a protruding hood and engine in front of the driver. The modern truck on sale in the Indian market has a modern look and has, most of the time, its engine placed under the driver's cabin. Now, V Umashankar, Union Road Transport and Highway Secretary, has hinted that the Long-nose truck may be back on the Indian roads.
Long-nose trucks are likely to be back in India
During the Urban Adda 2025, a three-day urban mobility conference organized in Delhi, V Umashankar explained that driving is based on sensory perceptions, and when the driver is sitting above the engine and the hood, it allows him a few extra seconds to calculate the space and time and reduce the risk. Also, this alteration can give drivers a better scope for responding swiftly.
While the flat-nose trucks and the long-nose trucks have their share of advantages and disadvantages. The flat-nose trucks give a better seating space to the drivers, along with better vision of the road. On the other hand, the long-nose trucks might kill much of the cabin space but tend to offer a better overview of the vehicles running ahead of the truck.
Umashankar said the ministry will soon commence the consultations with truck manufacturers and other stakeholders to facilitate the transition. Also, he hinted that even if the decision to roll out the nose-long truck is enforced, it will at least take two years for the manufacturers to restructure the assembly line and comply.
Umashakar also said that the government is also planning the possibility of introduce puller-trailers in India to enhance freight efficiency and reduce logistics costs.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Business Standard

25 minutes ago

• Business Standard

DGCA launches comprehensive special audit plan to end siloed safety checks

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has rolled out a new 'comprehensive special audit' framework for India's aviation sector that aims to move beyond siloed safety assessments and carry out integrated evaluations across airlines, airports, maintenance firms, training institutes, and ground handling agencies. 'Traditionally, regulatory and safety oversight functions within Indian aviation have been conducted in silos, with different directorates (of DGCA) performing inspections and audits specific to their respective domains. These activities include planned/unplanned surveillance inspections, random spot checks and ramp inspections, which primarily assess compliance and safety within individual aviation segments,' the regulator stated. On June 12, Air India's London-bound AI171 flight crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 34 people on the ground. Issued on June 19, the DGCA circular mentioned the need for 'a 360-degree evaluation of the aviation ecosystem, reflecting both its strengths and areas needing improvement'. Going beyond the annual surveillance audits currently in place, the special audits will be carried out by multidisciplinary teams led by senior officials from the regulator. These teams will include personnel from various DGCA divisions—such as flight standards, air safety, airworthiness, aerodrome standards, and air navigation—and may also bring in external experts when needed. The audits will examine three broad areas: the effectiveness of an organisation's Safety Management System (SMS), the robustness of its operational practices, and compliance with regulatory provisions. Each audit will involve a combination of techniques, including on-site inspections, document reviews, interviews with operational staff, safety data analysis, and training record checks. 'These audits will be over and above the Regulatory Audits carried out as per the Annual Surveillance Programme,' the DGCA said. They will apply to all major players in the civil aviation system, including not just airlines and airports but also Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) providers, training academies, and even entities that manage emergency response systems and supply chains. The regulator will initiate these audits either routinely—such as through annual assessments or post-implementation reviews—or in response to specific triggers like serious incidents, regulatory violations, or findings by UN body International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). In urgent cases, audits may begin without notice. Otherwise, entities will be given between three to fourteen working days to prepare. Audit findings will be categorised by severity. The most critical will require corrective action within seven days, while others may be resolved over 30 or 90 days. 'Audited entities must submit a Corrective Action Plan… detailing root cause analysis, remedial actions, preventive measures, implementation timelines, and success metrics,' the circular stated. The DGCA has also made it clear that enforcement will follow in cases where findings are not addressed. 'Non-compliance… may result in progressive enforcement actions, including advisory guidance, formal warnings, operational restrictions, financial penalty, suspension, or revocation of licences,' it noted. To encourage transparency, the regulator has promised confidentiality of audit findings in line with international norms. 'The Special Audit upholds a confidential approach, aligned with ICAO Annex 19 principles, to foster open reporting and positive safety culture,' it said. The new audits, DGCA said, will 'provide a holistic evaluation of the aviation sector, meticulously examining safety, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance'. The goal is to proactively identify systemic vulnerabilities, enhance resilience, and ensure alignment with international standards and India's own aviation safety objectives.

Business Standard

25 minutes ago

• Business Standard

Markets may dip as US strikes on Iran stoke oil fears, global volatility

Indian markets may open lower on Monday due to fears of crude oil disruption from the West Asia though domestic institutional investors may support valuations Sundar Sethuraman Mumbai Listen to This Article Investors may have to brace for a spike in volatility on Monday following the US military's direct involvement in the Israel–Iran conflict over the weekend. Experts believe benchmark Sensex and Nifty may correct 1–1.5 per cent if oil prices surge and Asian markets fall due to the widening of the West Asia conflict. However, domestic institutional investor (DII) buying could cushion the fall. Last week, the domestic markets had gained over 1.5 per cent even as hostilities between Iran and Israel escalated. On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced targeted strikes on three of Iran's key nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—using

Mint

31 minutes ago

• Mint

Vivek Oberoi's Net Worth: Bollywood actor credits early stock market exposure for building ₹1,200 crore fortune

Actor Vivek Oberoi, whose acting career didn't went well, has turned himself into a successful businessman by creating a ₹ 1,200 crore biz empire. During a recent interview on Owais Andrabi's Dubai Property Insider podcast, Vivek revealed that his father only played the role of a mentor in his life and never helped him financially. Vivek, son of actor and politician Suresh Oberoi, made his Bollywood debut in 2002 with Ram Gopal Verma's film 'Company', and became a household name with movie 'Saathiya' (2002), directed by Shaad Ali. Talking about how he built such a big empire, Vivek said that his father groomed him regarding economics and business from a very young age. 'He would bring me a product and would ask me to create an entire business plan about how I was going to sell it. I started understanding the nuances of business from the age of 10 because I was going from door to door to sell that stuff.' Vivek further said that his father used to tell him 'I am a rich man; you are not. You will get there, but you have to do it on your own.' He also credited his exposure to the stock market trading and real estate investments during his teenage years for shaping up his entrepreneurial journey. He said: 'I was able to raise $3 million for my first company, and I was only 19, and I made a lot of money for my investors and myself, and I sold the company by the time I was 23. If I hadn't been applying myself for all those years, it never would have been possible. Because I put in that work, now I have been able to take nine companies public on the Indian stock market, and I am planning to take four more.' As of April 2025 Vivek Oberoi has a net worth of ₹ 1200 crore, according to Forbes India. His ventures include BNW Real Estate Developers, a prominent player in the UAE luxury market, and Solitario, a lab-grown diamond brand. Other business ventures in which Vivek has invested include global brand accelerator Impresario Global, a gin brand called Rutland Square Spirits, and vehicle care platform ReadyAssist.