The hottest news of the auto market is finally here! The cabinet has approved the Automotive Industry Development and Export Plan (AIDEP) 2021-26. And, under the new policy, all vehicles, whether locally manufactured or imported, must comply with a list of WP.29 regulations. If not, they won’t be allowed to go on sale after June 30, 2022. What a way to end the year!
WP.29 Regulations
The UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) is a unique worldwide regulatory forum for vehicles and vehicle equipment followed by 64 countries. Pakistan has agreed to adopt UN vehicle regulations since April 2020. But not many companies are following the rules.
In the new policy, the government has made some UN vehicle regulations mandatory for all auto companies. These regulations are about the inclusion and quality assurance of vehicle steering, tires, brakes, lights, seatbelts, seats and headrests, airbags, rearview mirrors, anti-theft, and other safety features.
Pakistani Cars Without Airbags
In Pakistan, most small cars come without airbags, such as:
- Suzuki Alto VX
- Suzuki Cultus VXR
- Suzuki Wagon R VXR & VXL
- Suzuki Bolan
- Suzuki Ravi
- Changan Karvaan
- United Bravo
- United Alpha
Clearly, Suzuki cars are going to get a major hit because of their lack of airbags. Besides the above six models, Suzuki Swift also has no airbags, and Wagon R VXL AGS has only one. Swift has already been discontinued and will soon be replaced with the 4th generation model. But the company will have to upgrade the Wagon R VXL AGS to meet the WP.29 safety standards.
We have heard the thing about installing airbags in every vehicle before. That time, the Lahore High Court (LHC) issued an order to the Engineering Development Board (EDB) to ensure the implementation of airbags and other safety regulations. But nothing came out of it.
Let’s see if the companies can pull off something they haven’t in years in just a few months because it’s not a request anymore. This time, the stakes are higher than ever. And if they still can’t do it, their car models will be kicked out of the market.
Government is making a mistake even people driving J.D.M. are not wearing seatbelts and are driving erratically and causing increased risk to other people. It would be better if license issuing system is made more ardent and people are literally made to stand for minutes or hours or knelt down to teach them respect for rules. Otherwise this step is fruitless and is equal to making cars more expensive.