Bhopal: Form National Road Safety Board, Union Ministry Urged

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Broad and ultra-modern expressways and highways are fine but the Union government should also focus on making roads safer.

The Road Safety Network, Madhya Pradesh Chapter, has urged the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to set up a National Road Safety Board to reduce fatalities and injuries in road mishaps by 50 % by 2030.

In a letter addressed to the Minister, the organisation said that India desperately needs to achieve road safety target of reducing 50% death and serious injury by the end of the current decade by implementing appropriate measure such as setting up National Road Safety Board, protecting vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclist and two-wheeler riders), zero tolerance enforcement policy for risk factors (speeding, non-use of helmet/seat belt, drink and drive) and thorough review of unsafe speed on national, state and urban roads.

The letter also urged the ministry to prepare a Road Safety Action Plan that sets an annual target which must be reviewed every six months. Unless such intermediate measures are set or evaluated, India will not be able to achieve the overall target by 2030.

On behalf of RNA, director general, NCHSE Pradip Nandi, said that in Madhya Pradesh casualties due to road accidents were very high. As per a report (in 2022), 13427 lives lost (200 lost lives due to bad roads) in 54,432 road accidents in MP.