FIA president Jean Todt to be plenary speaker at WRM 2017 in India next month

Jean Todt, president of FIA (Federation International Automobile), the governing body for world motorsport including Formula 1 racing, who is also the UN Secretary General’s special envoy for road safety, will be coming to India as special guest and plenary speaker  at  the forthcoming  four-day World Road Meeting (WRM 2017) to be held at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida,  for the first time from November 14-17, 2017.

The 18th World Road Meeting titled Crossroads-WRM 2017 is being organised by the International Road Federation (IRF), the Geneva-based global body working for better and safer roads worldwide. About 2,500 global road safety experts, professionals, companies and government organisations, active in road transport and mobility  sectors, from various parts of the world will take part in the four-day 18th World Road Meeting.

Jean Todt, acting in his capacity as the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, apart from addressing the special plenary session, will also meet various stakeholders in the country to promote United Nations’ road safety legal instruments and share established road safety best practices as India has one of the highest road accident fatalities in the world.

Jean Todt will also be participating in a Transport Minister's Forum On Road Safety to be held in New Delhi on November 13 to be inaugurated by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Transport, Highways and Shipping. Transport ministers from various countries including Canada, Russia, Finland, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Burundi , Bosnia and Herzegovina will also be participating. 

“FIA will also  be holding a special session on ‘Implementing the new urban agenda through innovation’ during WRM 2017  with a focus on addressing the global challenges of a changing mobility landscape and designing a more inclusive, safe and affordable transportation sector. The FIA Smart Cities initiative brings expertise gained in motorsports as well as knowledge in the field of mobility to the cities that are committed to promote sustainable transport solutions,” said K K Kapila, chairman, International Road Federation (IRF).

Other dignitaries who will be taking part in WRM 2017 will include Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) Mansukh L Mandaviya; Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog; spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar; Thomas Chandy, minister of transport, Kerala; R M Dhavlikar, minister of PWD and Transport, Goa; and R C Bhargava, non-executive director, Maruti Suzuki India.  

Crossroads-WRM as a global platform
“The International Road Federation’s (IRF) Crossroads-WRM is the global platform to facilitate the cross-pollination of ideas among pioneers, businesses and organisations. By connecting high-tech companies, leading experts in the field and governments, we can make mobility a positive reality for everyone. The WRM includes a conference and an exhibition, a ‘Young Professional Lab’ and an ‘Innovation Café’ and provides an outlet for sharing cutting-edge research, best practices and experiences from across the world, and is intended to be a premier knowledge event for discussing important issues facing the road, transport and mobility sectors,” said Prashant Kapila, WRM 2017 Conference director.

“The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), government of India, has extended its support to WRM 2017. The ministry stands committed to achieve 50 percent reduction of road deaths in the country by 2020 as it is a signatory to the UN decade of action for road safety,” said Kapila.

FIA, apart from representing interests of motor sports organisations, is also a leading global advocate in charge of shaping the future of mobility worldwide, by ensuring safe, sustainable and accessible transport for all road users across the world.

Also read: 1,317 accidents and 413 deaths on Indian roads each day in 2016