India wins top global award for road safety

New Delhi: India has been awarded the prestigious Prince Michael Decade of Action Road Safety Award for its remarkable efforts in enhancing vehicle safety standards over the past decade. The honour recognizes India’s progress in road safety, including the introduction of a new car safety assessment program and the mandate for anti-lock braking systems (ABS) in all new two-wheelers manufactured in the country.

The award was presented at the 4th Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech, where global transportation leaders convened to strategize on reducing global road fatalities by 50 percent by 2030. India shared the recognition with Morocco, which was also acknowledged for its contributions to road safety. Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Ajay Tamta, accepted the award on behalf of the Indian government from Etienne Krug of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Honored to receive the prestigious Prince Michael International Decade of Action Road Safety Award on behalf of the Government of India, recognizing our remarkable progress in vehicle safety—the best globally since 2014. pic.twitter.com/lj6GxMcuB4

— Ajay Tamta (@AjayTamtaBJP) February 20, 2025

During the award ceremony, Tamta highlighted India’s policy transformation that began in 2014 following independent crash tests of Indian cars. This led to a comprehensive revision of vehicle safety standards under the Road Transport Ministry. In 2018, the Narendra Modi government outlined a roadmap to align India’s vehicle safety regulations with European standards by 2023, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to enhance road safety.

The recognition comes at a time when India has witnessed a rapid expansion of its National Highway network, which has grown by 60 percent in the last ten years, increasing from 91,287 km in 2014 to 146,195 km in 2024. This expansion has made India home to the second-largest road network in the world. The country has also achieved a substantial increase in its National High-Speed Corridors, which have surged from just 93 km in 2014 to 2,474 km in 2024, reflecting significant improvements in infrastructure development.

The rapid expansion of India’s highways has been driven by government-led initiatives, including flagship programs like Bharatmala Pariyojana. Additionally, 2,540 km of highways have been constructed through externally aided projects with financial support from global institutions such as the World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

India’s recognition on the global stage reinforces its commitment to advancing road safety and infrastructure development, aligning with international best practices to create safer and more efficient road networks.

With IANS inputs

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