Govt, corporates and NGOs join hands to work together for improving road safety

New Delhi: “Forum for Coalition of Public-Private Partners in Road Safety” has been launched by government among others for reducing road accidents and to create safer road environment in the country. Near about 20 organisations including government, corporates and NGOs joined hands on October 20 and signed an agreement to collaborate and work together to promote and improve road safety scenarios in the country, said the official release by International Road Federation (IRF).

The ‘Forum for Coalition of Public-Private Partners in Road Safety” was launched under the umbrella of International Road Federation (IRF) India in the presence of Jean Todt, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, according to an official release.

The partners include government, corporates and NGOs among 20 other organizations

The partners in the coalition agreement include MoRT&H, Maruti Suzuki India, Military Engineering Services (MES), AIIMS, 3M India, World Bank, PVR, DRDO, Motolance, Netradyne, Avery, Dennison, MBM university, Grandpitstop, Intel Technology, CRRI, Orafol India, Indian Roads Congress (IRC) WIAA, Prabhaav Learnings, Muskaan Foundation, TRAX and SIAM.

UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt said, “India safety challenges persist at alarming rates in India as one of every 10 road deaths globally occurs in India. Evidence based interventions and urgent need for substantial improvements in road safety through both the private and public sectors is the need of the hour. This  initiative of public-private partners in road safety will act swiftly and decisively and raise the visibility and commitment to the cause of reducing road accidents in the country. Priority areas include enforcing seat belts, wearing of helmets, reducing speed and improving road infrastructure.

Partners also commit to improve emergency response systems to ensure timely medical assistance

Partners also commit to improve emergency response systems to ensure timely and effective medical assistance to accident victims. The other part of agreement includes extending support for research and innovation for development of new technologies and use of Intelligent Transportation system (ITS), mobilization of funding for various road safety projects through dedicated National and Local Road Safety Funds, UN Road Safety Fund and Corporate CSR to support in the consistent undertaking of the programmes of the Coalition and implementation of the corrections, said the official release.

Additional Secretary, MoRTH Amit Kumar Ghosh said on the occasion that, “Ministry of Road and Highways has been working for safety and is partner to the coalition agreement, we all will be working together towards road safety as a shared responsibility and commit to actively contribute to the improvement of road safety. MoRTH is working to collect and analyze accurate and reliable data on road accidents, injuries, and fatalities to identify trends, risk factors, and areas of improvement.

We partners commit to raising public awareness about road safety through educational campaigns, training programs, and dissemination of information on safe driving practices," he added.

President Emeritus, International Road Federation (IRF), K K Kapila said that "We all agree for safe infrastructure development ensuring the safety and protection of all road users through safer road infrastructure and proper safety assessment in planning design, construction and maintenance of roads. We also agree to enforcing traffic laws and regulations effectively, including measures to deter over speeding, drunken driving, and other risky behaviours.“ 

International Road Federation (IRF) is a Geneva based road safety body working for safer and better roads worldwide.

“Agreement also includes Vehicle Safety as partners agree to promote the use of safe vehicles by encouraging the adoption of safety features, regular maintenance, and compliance with vehicle safety standards. And with the concern for the safety of Vulnerable Road Users, especially children, cyclists, two wheelers, occupying a place of priority in our agenda they commit to adopt, implement and enforce policies and measures to actively protect vulnerable road users and promote cycling," Kapila added.

By signing the Coalition for Road Safety Agreement, all partners demonstrate their commitment of working together towards the common goal of reducing road accidents and creating safer road environments for all road users and achieving the objective of reduction of road accidents and fatalities by more than 50% by the end of 2030, the release concluded.

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