India explores MoU with South Korea to introduce integrated highways information system

India is exploring an agreement with South Korea for introduction of a Highways Information System in the country. This is as per Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. This system would be developed on the lines of the system run by the Express Highways Information Corporation of South Korea, with integrated monitoring of a highway at a centralised control room.

Inaugurating the 29^th National Road Safety Week in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan today, Gadkari spelt out the ministry’s priorities in ensuring safety of road users in the country including the target of cutting down the number of road fatalities to half from around 150,000 accidental deaths.

The Ministry organizes the Road Safety Week every year to create awareness among general public and improve upon the safety of road users. This year, Road Safety Week is being organized from April 23-29, with the focus on schools and commercial drivers. Addressing the participants, Gadkari suggested that every student be made a road safety ambassador for his family and society at large.

Outlining the initiatives and steps taken to improve vehicle safety and overall road safety, the Minister said his ministry has adopted the 4E principles of Education, Enforcement, Engineering and Emergency care to address the problem of road safety. For ensuring vehicular safety, the standards of buses have been upgraded, airbags and speed alert device have been made mandatory for all cars, and every two-wheeler will have ABS. He said, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017, passed by the Lok Sabha is waiting to be cleared by Rajya Sabha. This bill comprehensively promotes safety on the road. It would also promote the development of an efficient, seamless and integrated multi-mode public transport system.

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has launched a scheme for setting up of Driving Training Centre to provide quality training to commercial vehicle drivers, improve road and environment safety and strengthen overall mobility on roads. A total of 789 road accident black spots have been identified on NHs of which 139 black spots are rectified, work on 233 black spots awarded and in progress. The Ministry had issued guidelines for taking up of Road Safety Audits on National Highways either as part of all new projects. Detailed Road Safety Audits in a length of 610km have been sanctioned on National Highways in last two years. Installation of crash barriers at accident prone locations on National Highways in Hilly Terrain has been sanctioned in a length of 183 Km at a cost of Rs 108.25 crore.

Gadkari also released a paper on road safety by the Indian Road Safety Campaign (IRSC). IRSC is a youth-led national mission promoting road safety, led by students and alumni of IIT Delhi. It is currently working on creating awareness on road safety, developing technologies, simplifying laws and improving the post-accident emergency care system. IRSC organises an annual road safety championship called as the Safer India Challenge in collaboration with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and various state polices involving the youth to come up with innovations in this area.