E-Paper
Aim to reduce road accidents by 50%: Gadkari
The senior minister was speaking at the inauguration of two-day Global Road Infratech Summit & Expo (GRIS) with the theme “Vision Zero: Sustainable Infratech and Policy for Safer Roads” in New Delhi.
New Delhi Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the government aims to reduce road accident rates by half by 2030 and said accidents contribute to an economic loss of 3 % to GDP.
“India witnessed 4,80,000 road accidents, 1,80,000 deaths, and about 4,00,000 serious injuries. Out of these 1,40,000 accident deaths are in the age of 18-45 years and affecting mostly two-wheeler riders and pedestrians,” Gadkari said citing the latest (2022) nationwide data.
The senior minister was speaking at the inauguration of two-day Global Road Infratech Summit & Expo (GRIS) with the theme “Vision Zero: Sustainable Infratech and Policy for Safer Roads” in New Delhi.
He further highlighted the immediate need for improved road safety measures to put in place and called upon the road construction industry to develop strategies to enhance road safety by adopting newer technologies and sustainable recyclable construction materials.
In his speech, Gadkari said that most of the crashes in India are due to poor civil engineering practices in road design, construction, and management and improper road signages and marking systems. He suggested that they can be rectified by emulating from what is being practiced in countries such as Spain, Austria and Switzerland.
Substandard detailed project reports (DPRs) also contributed to poor quality of roads, he pointed.
Stating that road safety is a top priority, the minister urged the industry to collaborate with governments in finding solutions to prevent road accidents, emphasising the importance of education in building safer infrastructure and promoting awareness on safer driving habits.
