Local car assemblers reluctant to offer safety measures

KARACHI, Feb. 23 -- The domestic automobile manufacturers are reluctant to offer safety features such as anti-lock breaking system (ABS), airbags and emission standards along with quality specifications such as alloy rims, power steering and windows in all their vehicles due to the absence of related regulations in Pakistan.

The competition impact assessment report of the automobile industry of Pakistan, recently issued by Competitive Commission of Pakistan (CCP) mentioned that four major auto manufacturers have not been offering safety features to their customers as these companies offer in different countries.

The CCP report identified that safety features such as ABS is absent in all models of Suzuki except for Swift, whereas all models of Honda have this feature and Toyota lacks ABS in its XLI. Airbags, another important feature required for safety purposes is absent in all models of Suzuki, whereas Toyota does not offer airbags for its XLI and GLI models.

Similarly, emission standards are absent for all models of Suzuki and Toyota.

Report elaborated that as far as quality features are concerned, alloy rims for vehicles are only offered for Altis (Toyota), Swift (Suzuki) and Civic Vti Oriel (Honda). Suzuki does not offer power steering for Mehran and power windows are absent for the XLI model of Toyota and Mehran and Cultus model of Suzuki.

On the contrary, Japanese imported car Vitz is available with ABS and air bags with almost all basic safety and quality features. At the same time, Swift is locally assembled and competes directly with Vitz; however it does not offer air bags and lacks many basic features such as a rear viper.

It is pertinent to mention here that ABS systems are required on all new passenger cars sold in the European Union (EU) since 2007, whereas all across the world, vehicle safety ratings encourage manufacturers to take a comprehensive approach to occupant safety and a good rating can only be achieved by combining airbags with other safety features. Thus, almost all new globally manufactured cars come with at least two airbags as standard.

In the year 2000, the government established Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) for the development of metallurgy, standards, testing and quality infrastructure but CCP not satisfied with the facilities and resources available with PSQCA. CCP termed them inadequate and stated that so far PSQCA has developed standards for only two wheelers.

In the view of rules and regulations report mentioned that there are certain laws and motor vehicle acts that ensure the roadworthiness of vehicles but these laws are clearly on the management aspects of the vehicles, on the other hand, only a few sections deal with the environmental aspects.

CCP said that the lack of standard safety and quality features in locally-manufactured vehicles is making the domestic industry less competitive with respect to the global market, reducing the prospects for export.

The automobile industry cannot compete globally without the establishment of strong standards and accreditation within the country; hence development of standards for all the vehicles produced locally is required.

The CCP suggested that the government should announce a deadline for the implementation of standard safety and emission policies and at the same time the automobile manufacturers should actively comply with international safety and quality standards that would ultimately make them globally more competitive and offer consumers good value for money.

Safety featuresAnti-lock breaking system

Airbags

Emission standards Published by HT Syndication with permission from Daily Times. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

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