IndiaRAP welcomes and stands ready to support MoRTH’s new State Support Programme which aims to reduce the fatality rate by 30% by March 2027. The new programme envisages distribution of grants to the 14 states based on the Key Performance Indicators. IndiaRAP’s systematic safety assessments conducted in these states over 21,000km NH and SH network shows an estimated 50% reduction of fatalities and serious injuries can be achieved if targeted safety investments towards safer road infrastructures are made.
Star Rating approach provides a simple and objective way to measure safety that is built-in the road infrastructure and it can be used as a tool to track performance which is necessary for such large-scale road safety programs. Safety demonstration corridors developed under the World Bank funding in some of these states shows improvement in Star Ratings for all road users after the road upgrade complete and reduction in crashes.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Member States’ 12 Global Road Safety Performance Targets include ensuring all new roads are built to a 3-star or better standard for all road users (Target 3), and more than 75% of travel is on the equivalent of 3-star or better roads for all road users by 2030 (Target 4). For India, achieving UN Target 3 for all road users by 2030 stands to save 9 lakh lives and serious injuries every year.
Excerpts from the news article are presented below,
- The centrally-sponsored six-year programme will be implemented in 14 States that are now contributing to 85% of the total road fatalities in the country.
- While MoRTH will lend a budgetary support of ₹3,635 crore, an amount of ₹1,818 crore will be secured as loan each from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
- Of the total cost, ₹6,725 crore will be disbursed to the 14 States based on their performance while MoRTH will use ₹545 crore for capacity building activities.
- The target States under the scheme are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Telangana, West Bengal, Odisha, Haryana and Assam.
- An output and outcome-driven scheme based on performance of the States on 11 mandatory and three elective indicators (road safety interventions).
- To have focused interventions in the related areas of road safety like road engineering, enforcement, road safety advocacy and media campaigns and efficient emergency response systems.
- An Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD) will be rolled out in all States by 2022-23 and applied for identifying and rectifying all black spots on State highways and major district roads.
- Road safety audit will be made mandatory on State highways and urban roads by the end of the scheme period.
- From 2022-23, MoRTH will launch a ‘Challenge Round’ every year to provide incentives to States on additional road safety interventions and also to promote competition among States.
- Deployment of Advance Traffic Management System, campaigns on vehicle safety and driver training, establishment of a Command and Control (Data) Centre for ambulances, establishment of automated vehicle fitness centres are some of the other initiatives planned under the scheme.
