NEW DELHI: A pilot project to identify the problems faced by truck drivers and to take corrective steps across six states — Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu — found that over half of them suffered from compromised vision; over 44% had borderline or above Body Mass Index (BMI) and around 57% had elevated blood pressure levels.
A total of 50,713 truck drivers were screened under “Project Abhay” in the past one year, which was designed and developed by Centre for Rural Development & Technology (CRDT) of IIT-Delhi in collaboration with Foresight Foundation and was supported by the road transport ministry. Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari released the report on the findings and steps taken to address the issue faced by drivers on Tuesday.
As per the report, during screening, about 55.1% of truck drivers were found to have compromised vision, with 53.3% requiring distance vision correction and 46.7% needing near-vision correction. Under the project, drivers were given the spectacles at the site, which ensured 93.7% of them with refractive errors received immediate corrections. “Improved vision among drivers directly reduced the likelihood of road accidents, contributing to safer highways and more efficient logistics operations,” it said.
During health screening, it was found that 44.3% of drivers had borderline or above BMI, 57.4% had elevated blood pressure levels, and 18.4% showed borderline or high blood sugar levels. “Drivers were provided with counseling on lifestyle changes, including dietary changes and stress management, with urgent cases referred to for further medical investigation,” the report mentioned.
About 33.9% of drivers reported moderate stress, while 2.9% were found to have high stress levels. Under the project, dedicated mental health counseling desks provided guidance and introduced drivers to resources like Tele-MANAS, which provides access to mental health care through a 24×7 tele-mental health service.
Speaking at the release of the report, Gadkari said the govt is committed to transforming India’s logistics sector, by enhancing truck drivers’ welfare, promoting sustainable fuels, and integrating advanced safety technologies. He said that govt plans to shift 80% of India’s truck fleet to CNG or LNG to cut logistics costs and reduce environmental impact as well. The minister also said India has only 75 drivers for every 100 trucks, leading to a shortage of 22 lakh drivers. “This lack of manpower contributes to accidents, as India does not have driver shifts like Europe.” He said, around 10,000 deaths are caused by trucks, he said.