3.4.3. Promoting Road Safety

The Government has increasingly focused on improving safety, efficiency and sustainability in the transport sector as only a safe system can be sustainable in the long run. A few steps taken in this regard are as follows:

A National Road Safety Policy had been approved, outlining various policy measures like promoting awareness, establishing road safety information data base, encouraging safer road infrastructure, enforcement of safety laws etc. The Ministry has evolved a multi-pronged strategy to tackle the problem based on the 4 E’s viz Education, Engineering (both of roads and vehicles) Enforcement and Emergency Care. A National Road Safety Council had also been constituted as the apex body to take policy decisions in the matter of road safety.

Top priority has been accorded to correction of black spots on National Highways and adopting regulatory measures for improving automobile safety. The Ministry has requested the States to send proposals for correction of black spots and 10% of the Central Road Fund (CRF) has been permitted to be used for undertaking road safety measures. Road safety has been made an integral part of road designing, safety audits are being taken up for selected stretches of National Highways. As short-term measures rumble strips, reflective stickers at junctions, fixing signboard/ cautionary board, providing signage and speed restrictions are being used. As long- term measures construction of vehicular under-pass, By-pass, flyover and 4-laning are being taken up.

An amount of Rs. 1100 crore has been made available for the road safety purposes during the years 2015-16 and 2016-17. The Ministry has stressed upon States / UTs to set up State Road Safety Councils, formulate an action plan for improving road safety, implement it in a concerted manner, fix a definite, time bound target for fatality reduction and identify and allocate adequate manpower, financial and other resources for implementing the strategy to achieve the targets set.

The Ministry has launched a media campaign to promote road safety. NGOs have been sensitised to work on Road Safety.

Vehicular Safety Standards are being set for all classes of vehicles. Trucks are prohibited from carrying protruding rods; Anti-locking Brake System (ABS) made mandatory on Heavy Vehicles; Cars to have provision for fitment of at-least one child seat. Car Crash Standards to be made mandatory w.e.f. 1st April, 2018; ABS/CBS for Two Wheelers mandated w.e.f. 1st April, 2018; AHO (Automatic Headlight On) made mandatory for Two Wheelers to make them more conspicuous; Bus Body Code for safer and comfortable buses; Truck Body Code for safe cabins to drivers and other road users; Mandatory Fitment of Speed Governors on Transport Vehicles to avoid over speeding.

Buses with IT enabled safety measures under NIRBHAYA SCHEME: As per notification issued by the Ministry all public service vehicles, (except two and three wheelers, e-rickshaws) have to be equipped with or fitted with vehicle location tracking device and one or more emergency buttons.

Indian Bridge Management System (IBMS) launched: IBMS is being developed to create an inventory of all bridges in the country and rate their structural condition so that timely repair and rehabilitation work can be carried out based on the criticality of the structure.

Model Institutes of Drivers Training and Research (IDTR): The Ministry is implementing a scheme for setting up of Model Institutes of Drivers Training and Research (IDTR) under which it

provides a grant up to Rs. 17.00 crore for each centre, as also Rs. 05.00 crore grant for setting up smaller Regional Driving Training Centres (RDTC). The IDTRs are expected to be the mother institutes which will train the trainers and also guide and monitor the smaller institutes.

Model Automated Centers for checking fitness of the vehicles: Under this scheme, the Ministry is providing a grant of Rs. 14.40 crore for each center.

Effective Trauma Care: NHAI provides ambulances at a distance of 50 km on its completed stretches of National Highways. Cranes and ambulances are provided to various State Governments under the National Highway Accident Relief Service Scheme for development on National Highways.

Pilot Projects for Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims were done on Gurgaon-Jaipur, Vadodara-Mumbai stretch of NH 8 and Ranchi-Rargaon-Mahulia stretch of NH 33. Now it is proposed to implement this scheme along the Golden Quadrilateral, North South and East West Corridors (about 13500 km) at an estimated cost of about Rs. 250 Crore.

Good Samaritans Guidelines: Guidelines have been issued by the Ministry to prevent the harassment of “Good Samaritans” who help road accident victims. The Supreme Court has accepted these guidelines and has asked states for implementation.