Road Safety Remains High Priority Of Odisha Govt, Says Minister At FICCI Conference In Delhi

Bhubaneswar: With road safety remaining its high priority area, the Odisha government has adopted a four-fold strategy of enforcement, education, improvements in road engineering and emergency care, said Tukuni Sahu, Minister of Transport, Water Resources & Commerce.

Speaking at conference on “Role of Corporates in Road Safety”, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in association with the state government in New Delhi on Tuesday, the minister emphasised on collaboration between corporates and government to achieve substantial progress in this segment.

“We are working on an automated driving centre. It is imperative that seat belts and helmets are used by the drivers not only on highways but also all roads to ensure the utmost safety,” she said.

Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Chairman of the FICCI Forum of Parliamentarians and Member of Parliament underscored the significance of collective efforts in building safer road networks. “Road safety is a shared responsibility, and it is crucial for corporates, policymakers and citizens to come together and contribute to reducing road accidents and fatalities,” he said.

Subhrakant Panda, President, FICCI and Managing Director of Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys (IMFA), said, “Roads are an important aspect of any country’s infrastructure as mobility is central to development. With approximately 63 lakh km of national highways, state highways and other roads, India has the second largest road network in the world. Human behaviour and inadequate enforcement remain the two major reasons for road accidents that affect not only the immediate family but also the economy and country at large.”

Rama Shankar Pandey, Chair, FICCI Road Safety Sub Committee and CEO, TATA Green Batteries, said, “The role of corporates becomes very crucial at the level of FICCI. WHO records say that one out of four in the working population gets into a road accident, and we must address this at the earliest.”

Usha Padhee, principal secretary and Amitabh Thakur, Transport Commissioner, also spoke.

The FICCI Road Safety Awards 2023 were presented to outstanding corporate initiatives and FICCI – EY report “Road Safety in India – Navigating through Nuances” released on the occasion. State Transport Authority, Odisha received special jury award for unique initiatives ‘Operation Rakshak’ and ‘National Road Safety Short Film Festival’.

On the occasion of the release of the FICCI-EY report, Vivek Ogra, Partner at EY, said, “Road safety is a complex, multi-dimensional problem that needs all stakeholders including government, NGOs, industry and citizens to come together. The road safety needs to be treated like an epidemic with each citizen playing the role of a watchman or a Good Samaritan by adopting ‘see something, say something’ approach.”