Lok Sabha Question No. 3617 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-10
Subject: Accidents on Delhi-Meerut Expressway
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Bhola Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3617 ANSWERED ON 10 TH  AUGUST, 2023

## ACCIDENTS ON DELHI-MEERUT EXPRESSWAY

3617. SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR: SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

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 accidents/piling  on  eways  due  to  wrong  direction  driving  particularly  on  Delhi-Meerut Expressway and Yamuna Expressway and if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps proposed in this regard;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  is  considering  to  install/develop  any mechanism to curb wrong side driving;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  the  details  of  States  which  have  initiated  the  installation  of  AI cameras to prevent road accidents and proper implementation of traffic rules; and
- (e) the measures being taken to improve road safety, security of riders and public awareness?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

- (a) to (c) Yes Sir. NHAI is sharing violation data of traffic rule offenders with National Informatics Centre (NIC) from Advanced Traffic Management  System  (ATMS)  installed  on  the  expressway.  The  NIC already  has  the  platform  to  send  the  violation  data  to  enforcement agencies  (traffic  police/RTO)  based  on  which  Traffic  Police  issue  echallan for wrong direction driving and over speeding.

Video Incident Detection System (VIDS) has been implemented as part  of  ATMS  which  detects  the  violation  automatically  using  the Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME). The VIDS detects wrong direction vehicles at entry points of the expressway and data of such violators is shared through NIC with enforcement agencies. The  violations  can  be  captured  through  provision  of  ATMS  which  is envisaged in high traffic density corridors.

- (d)  ATMS is presently installed on some of the high density NHs and Expressways such as Delhi-Meerut Expressway (Delhi & UP), Eastern Peripheral expressway (UP & Haryana), Trans-Haryana NH-152D (Haryana), Delhi-Vadodara Expressway (Haryana & Rajasthan), Paniyala Mor to Narnaul section of NH-148B & Narnaul to Pachehri kalan section of NH-11 (Haryana), Narnaul Bypass & Ateli Mandi to Narnaul Section of NH-11 (Haryana) Rewari-Ateli Mandi section of NH-11 (Haryana), DNDBallabhgarh-Faridabad Bypass NH-148 NA (km. 33.00 to 59.00) Pkg-3 (Haryana) etc.
- (e)  Ministry  has  formulated  a  multi-pronged  strategy  to  address  the issue of road safety based on Education, Engineering (both of roads and vehicles),  Enforcement  and  Emergency  Care.  Accordingly,  various initiatives have been taken by the Ministry as detailed below: -
- (I) Education:
- i.       To  create  effective  public  awareness  about  road  safety, Ministry  undertakes  various  publicity  measures  and  awareness campaigns through social media, electronic media and print media. financial
- Further, Ministry administers a scheme  to  provide assistance to various agencies towards Road Safety Advocacy.
- ii.    Observance of National Road Safety Month/Week every year for spreading awareness and strengthening road safety.
- iii.   A  Certification  Course  for  Road  Safety  Auditor  has  been mandated for technical officers of all road owning agencies under the Ministry up to the level of Superintending Engineer or equivalent.
- iv.    To impart driving training, Ministry administers a scheme for setting  up  of  Institutes  of  Driving  Training  &  Research  (IDTRs), Regional  Driving  Training  Centres  (RDTCs)  and  Driving  Training Centres (DTCs) at state/district level across the Country.
- (II) Engineering (both of Roads and vehicles)
- (A)  Road engineering:
- i.     Road safety has been made an integral part of road design at planning stage.
- ii.      Road  Safety  Audit  (RSA)  of  all  National  Highways (NHs) has been made mandatory through third party auditors/ experts at all stages i.e. design, construction, operation and maintenance etc.
- iii.    High priority is accorded to identification and rectification of black spots /accident spots on NHs.
- iv.    Road  Safety  Officer  (RSO)  has  been  designated  at  each Regional Office of road owning agencies under the Ministry to look after  RSA,  blackspot  rectification  and  other  road  safety  related works.
- v.      130  stretches  of  NH  have  been  identified  for  developing  as
- Model Safe Roads under the Ministry.
- vi.  85 project stretches of NH have been identified for developing as Model Safe Construction Zone under the Ministry.
- vii.   Ministry administers the electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR)  Project  to  establish  a  central  repository  for  reporting, management  and  analysis  of  road  accidents  data  across  the Country.

viii.   Ministry  and  IRC  have  issued  various  codes  and  guidelines, time to time, to implement various road safety measures so as to minimize accidents on National Highways.

- ix.   Ministry vide letter dated 20.07.2023 has issued guidelines for the provision of signages on Expressways and National Highways by incorporating best practices and International standards to offer improved  visibility  and  intuitive  guidance  to  the  drivers.  The guidelines are designed to offer drivers clear and concise guidance, warnings, notices and regulatory information, facilitating a seamless and safe journey on the roads.

## (B) Vehicle engineering:

Ministry  has  taken  various  initiatives  to  make  vehicles  safer, including the following: -

- i.  Mandatory provision of an airbag for the passenger seated on the front seat of a vehicle, next to the driver.
- ii.  Prescribed  norms  vide  notification  dated  15th  February,  2022 related  to  safety  measures  for  children  below  four  years  of  age, riding or being carried on a motor cycle. It also specifies use of a safety harness, crash helmet and restricts speed to 40kmph.

iii.  Mandatory  provisions  for  fitment  of  following  listed  safety technologies from 01st July, 2019 : -

For M1 category vehicles:

- Seat Belt Reminder (SBR) for driver and co-driver.
- Manual Override for central locking system
- Over speed warning system.

For all M and N category vehicles:

- ·
- Reverse Parking Alert System
- iv.   Mandated Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) for certain classes of  L  [Motor  vehicle  with  less  than  four  wheels  and  includes  a Quadricycle], M [Motor vehicles with at least four wheels used for carrying  passengers]  and  N  [Motor  vehicles  with  at  least  four wheels used for carrying goods which may also carry persons in addition to goods, subject to conditions stipulated in BIS standards] categories.
- v.    Mandated approval of vehicles for protection of occupants in the event of an Offset Frontal Collision, for requirements of behavior of  steering  mechanism  of  the  vehicle  in  a  Head-on  collision, Protection of Occupants in the event of Lateral Collision and for approval of vehicles with regard to protection of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users in the event of a collision with a motor vehicle.
- vi.    Mandated speed limiting function/speed limiting device in all transport  vehicles,  except  for  two  wheelers,  three  wheelers, quadricycles, fire tenders, ambulances and police vehicles.
- vii.  Mandated compliance of the fully built buses (with a seating capacity of 22 passengers or above, excluding driver), manufactured on and after 1st April 2019, with the requirements of Fire Detection, Alarm and Suppression system. Further, compliance of type III buses of category M3 and school buses with fire alarm and  protection  system  in  occupant  compartment  has  also  been mandated from 1 st  October, 2023.

viii. Prescribed the format in which vehicle manufacturers issue the Road Worthiness Certification for registering motor vehicles.

- ix.    Published the rules for recognition, regulation and control of Automated Testing Stations vide notification GSR 652 (E) dt 23 rd

September  2021  and  its  amendment  vide  GSR  797  (E)  dt  31 st October 2022. These rules define the procedure for fitness testing of  vehicles  through  automated  equipment  and  the  procedure  for grant of fitness certificate by ATSs. These rules came into effect on 25 th  September 2021.

- x.    Published the  Motor Vehicles (Registration and Functions of Vehicle  Scrapping  Facility) Rules, 2021  for  establishment  of Registered Vehicles Scrapping Facility (RVSF) vide notification  GSR 653 (E) dt 23 rd  September 2021 and its amendment vide  GSR  695  (E)  dt  13 th   September  2022.  These  rules  for  RVSF prescribe  the  procedure  for  setting  up  and  operation  of  such facilities.
- xi. Formulated the Vehicle Scrapping Policy based on incentives/dis-incentives and for creating an ecosystem to phase out older, unfit and polluting vehicles.

xii. A Scheme to set up one model Inspection & Certification Centre in each State/UT with Central assistance for testing the fitness of vehicles through an automated system.

## (III) Enforcement:

- i. The  Motor  Vehicles  (Amendment)  Act,  2019  as  stands implemented provides for strict penalties for ensuring compliance and enhancing deterrence for violation of traffic  rules  and  strict enforcement through use of technology.
- ii.      Ministry  has  issued  notification  G.S.R.  575(E)  dated  11th August, 2021 for Electronic Monitoring and Enforcement of Road Safety. The rules specify the detailed provisions for placement of electronic  enforcement  devices  (speed  camera,  closed-circuit television camera, speed gun, body wearable camera, dashboard camera,  Automatic  Number  Plate  Recognition  (ANPR),  weigh  in machine  (WIM)  and  any  such  other  technology  specified  by  the State Government).

(IV) Emergency care:

- i.       Ministry  has  published  rules  vide  GSR  594(E)  dated  29 th September, 2020 for the protection of Good Samaritan, who in good faith, voluntarily and without expectation of any reward  or compensation renders emergency medical or nonmedical care or assistance at the scene of an accident to the victim or transports such victim to the hospital. ii.      Ministry  vide  notification  dated  25th  February,  2022  has enhanced compensation of victims of Hit and Run motor accidents (from Rs. 12,500 to Rs. 50,000 for grievous hurt and from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 2,00,000 for death). iii.  The National Highways Authority of India has made provisions Medical Technician/Nurse  at  toll  plazas  on  the  completed  corridor  of

for ambulances with paramedical staff/Emergency National Highways.

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