Lok Sabha Question No. 1583 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-09
Subject: Road Safety
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: RAHUL KASWAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1583 ANSWERED ON 9 TH  MARCH 2017

## ROAD SAFETY

## 1583.    SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the Government has taken note of the problem of road safety and citizen interaction in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof ;
- (c) the measures being taken to increase the road connectivity from the towns to the villages;
- (d) whether initiatives have been taken to cover all the under developed villages in the country which do not have proper road connectivity; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken to expedite the projects for improving connectivity ?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI PON. RADHAKRISHNAN)

(a)& (b) The Government  is aware of the problem of Road Safety which is reflected in number of road accidents  and  fatalities  in  the  country.      Ministry  of  Road  Transport  &  Highways  is  undertaking  various measures to improve the road safety as detailed as under:

- i. The Government has approved a National Road Safety Policy.  This Policy outlines various policy measures such as promoting awareness, encouraging safer road infrastructure including application of intelligent transport, enforcement of safety laws trauma care etc.
- ii. The Government has constituted the National Road Safety Council as the apex body to take policy decisions in matters of road safety.
- iii. The Ministry has requested all States/UTs for setting up of State Road Safety Council and District Road Safety Committees, and to hold their meetings regularly.
- iv. The Ministry has formulated a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue of road safety based on 4 'E's viz. Education, Engineering (both of roads and vehicles), Enforcement and Emergency Care. Based on this, a draft action plan has been shared with the states.
- v. Road safety has been made an integral part of road design at planning stage.
- vi. Road Safety Audit of selected stretches of National Highways has been taken up.
- vii. High  priority  has  been  accorded  to  identification  and  rectification  of  black  spots  (accident  prone spots) on national highways. A total of 789 such black spots have been identified for improvement.
- viii. The  threshold  for  four  laning  of  national  highway  has  been  reduced  from  15,000  Passenger  Car Units (PCUs) to 10,000 PCUs. About 52,000 Km of stretches of State Highways has been identified for conversion to national highways.
- ix. Setting up of model driving training institutes in States and refresher training to drivers of Heavy Motor Vehicle in the unorganized sector.
- x. Advocacy/Publicity campaign on road safety through the electronic and print media.
- xi. Tightening of safety standards for vehicles like Seat Belts, Power-steering, anti-lock braking system etc.
- xii. Providing  cranes  and  ambulances  to  various  State  Governments  under  the  National  Highway Accident  Relief  Service  Scheme  for  development  on  National  Highways.  National  Highways Authority  of  India  also  provides  ambulances  at  a  distance  of  50  Km.  on  each  of  its  completed stretches of National Highways under its Operation & Maintenance contracts.

(c) to (e) The Government is implementing the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to provide good all-weather road connectivity to the eligible unconnected Habitations.  The unit for this Programme is a Habitation. A Habitation is a cluster of population, living in an area, the location of which does not change over  time.  Desam,  Dhanis,  Tolas,  Majras,  Hamlets  etc.  are  commonly  used  terminology  to  describe  the Habitations.

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