In a bid to make the country’s roads safer, Minister For Road Transport And Highways Nitin Gadkari has asked all major automobile makers to adopt stretches of highways for fixing black spots, setting up trauma centres and providing life-saving ambulance services.
The minister has written to carmakers to make vehicles as per Global NCAP norms to ensure pedestrian safety. Companies making helmets too have been given a new design that has better safety features.
Carmakers too are taking steps to improve road safety. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has started work with Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to make the Mumbai-Pune Expressway safer. Maruti Suzuki too has adopted a 7.5-km stretch on the Gurgaon Expressway to improve road safety in collaboration with Gurgaon Police. The company is now looking at extending the programme to cover 20 km on the Gurgaon Expressway by the end of next fiscal year. Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) too has undertaken various measures to cut accidents along the Bangalore-Mysore highway.
Hyundai has also launched a ‘Safe Move — Traffic Safety Campaign’ with the roads ministry to create educational content and spread awareness about road safety. The company has already reached out to 90,000 children across 142 schools and 100,000 residents in 146 Resident Welfare Associations in 11 cities. Tata Motors too has rolled out ‘Hamare Bus Ki Baat Hai’ initiative to educate school bus drivers, staff and parents on road safety for school children.
