Minister Ajay Tamta Calls For Push On Zero Fatality Goals

State, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Ajay Tamta, said "the issue of road safety is very important, and we should work on ideas to reduce road fatalities. The focus should be on working towards zero road fatalities.

The "Dialogue to Action: National Summit on Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) & Road Safety" organized by TRAX S. Society was held today at Novotel City Centre, New Delhi . The event brought together experts, policymakers, NGOs, industry leaders, and enforcement officers to address India's growing road safety crisis.

Mr. Jen Todt, the UN Special Envoy for Road Safety, called road crashes a "silent pandemic" and emphasized the urgent need to protect vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

Citing over 1.2 million global deaths and 154,000 fatalities in India in 2021, he stressed that while not every crash is avoidable, many are-and those who die are often young people, daily commuters, and sole breadwinners. He called for enforceable steps like ensuring two quality helmets with every motorcycle sold and aligning efforts with the Marrakech Declaration. "India needs more than dialogue. It needs action. And it needs it now," he concluded.

Mr. Amit Bhardwaj, Deputy Adviser, NITI Aayog, said, "In 2010, we had 70,000 km of national highways. That has doubled now, and so have two-wheelers. Proliferation has increased in the last 10 years. Bike riders find it hard to carry helmets when leaving their bikes. One of the reasons why a bike rider might not be using a helmet could be poor engineering design of the bike."

"Strict enforcement is needed, such as petrol pump owners refusing fuel to non-helmet riders. Overall, we need a wholesome and multi-ministerial approach where other stakeholders are also involved," Bhardwaj highlighted.

Mr Mitra Sen Verma, Director at BIS, said: "We are ready to support NGOs and others working on road safety. If we get information, we can raid fake helmet manufacturing units. We are also working with schools to plant the idea of road safety in young minds."

"The central government can make laws, but strong enforcement must come from the states. Collaborative ideas and better implementation are needed," Mr Maharaj Singh, Consultant, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, explained that states also play a critical role in India's federal structure.

A key highlight of the event was the launch of "Road Safety Paathshaala", a road safety module developed by TRAX for children aged 8 to 13 years, which was unveiled. 'Road Safety PaathShaala,' a story-based road safety learning book for children to make safety engaging and fun.

Highlighting the issue of substandard helmets in the market, Rajeev Kapur, Managing Director, Steelbird Hi-Tech Pvt. Ltd., said, "The 95% of helmet license holders are producing fake helmets, and even showrooms are selling them. We need a proper policy roadmap. India requires 13 crore standard helmets; only three crore are produced by organized industry. An investment of about ₹6,000 crore is required to produce licensed helmets. The industry will create 80,000 jobs-but this can only happen step by step or with a proper roadmap." Steelbird's managing director also launched "Mission 2.0" for road crash protection.

"India had committed to reducing road crashes by 50% by 2030, but the trend is moving in the wrong direction. We are working on a proposal for dedicated lanes for two-wheelers, as followed in countries like Vietnam and Malaysia," Prof. Manoranjan Parida, Director of CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), highlighted.

"Media and Bollywood must show sensitivity, as they did for tobacco and alcohol," the CRRI director stressed.

Dr B Mohammed Asheel, WHO, applauding India's legislation on paper, said, "India has one of the best road safety rules on paper. But deaths from road injuries are twice as high as infectious diseases. Like COVID, we need a public participation movement to prevent crashes."

"We are lacking safer road standards and proper enforcement. In 2023, there were 1.72 lakh road crash deaths, with over 65% involving VRUs like two-wheeler riders and pedestrians. Almost 95% of women wear substandard helmets, and 50-75% of helmets sold in India are fake. This is a shared responsibility. Most crashes are preventable," Anurag Kulshrestha, Founder and President of TRAX S. Society, said, stressing the urgent need for safer roads.

The event also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between TRAX and Dr Akhilesh Das Gupta Institute of Professional Studies to establish a 'Center for Road Safety Excellence' to empower future engineers with robust training in safe road design and road safety principles.