Union Minister of Road Transport, Shri Nitin Gadkari, emphasized the urgent need to improve road safety and adopt advanced technologies in the transportation sector.
Gadkari highlighted the concerning statistics of road accidents in India, revealing that the country experiences around 5 lakh accidents annually, leading to a significant number of fatalities. More than half of these deaths occur in the 18-36 age group. He pointed out that road accidents result in an economic loss equivalent to 3% of the country’s GDP.
The Minister stressed the importance of upgrading road engineering by leveraging the latest global technologies. He expressed a strong interest in collaborating with Indian startups and young engineers working on innovative solutions in this field.
According to Gadkari, road safety can only be achieved through the integration of advanced engineering, stricter enforcement of traffic laws, and the adoption of modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).
He also spoke about the use of technology in law enforcement, particularly AI, to detect traffic violations and enable accurate penalty enforcement. Additionally, he mentioned plans to upgrade toll collection systems, including the exploration of satellite-based toll systems, which would enhance efficiency and transparency.
As part of the Ministry’s broader road safety strategy, Gadkari announced that experts from the private sector will be brought in to collaborate on developing technological solutions. A dedicated expert committee has been tasked with reviewing proposals from startups and industry leaders, with the goal of implementing the best ideas. The committee has been instructed to complete its evaluations within three months to accelerate improvements in the sector.
Gadkari also emphasized the government’s commitment to maintaining high-quality standards in areas like surveillance technology, particularly in the use of cameras for road monitoring. He assured that there would be no compromise on quality, regardless of whether solutions come from large or small companies. He encouraged small firms with innovative technologies to actively participate in government tenders.
- PIB
