India to spend 110 billion rupees to ensure road safety

The country on Monday observed 'Road Safety Week 2016' that began with dignitaries stressing the importance of proper implementation of various road safety policies and measures in a bid to minimise road mishaps.

It also announced that it would spend 110 billion rupees to improve the condition of accident prone areas across the country.

The Road Safety Week with the theme of 'Time for Action' would conclude on January 17.

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Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari stressed the importance of safe driving.

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"I would like to announce that we will soon begin work on 10 accident prone areas that we have identified in Delhi. In fact, not only in Delhi, we will soon cover all accident prone spots in the country. We have decided to spend 110 billion rupees in this regard," said Gadkari.

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He added every year there were nearly five million accidents recorded with three million injured persons along with 1.5 million deaths in India.

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Associations like the Brahmakumaris also participated in the programme where school children performed a dance highlighting the importance of road safety.

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"To ensure road safety, it is necessary to set up an authority or a board for a regular maintenance and work policies in this sector. Ensuring road safety is not only a duty of the federal but also the state government. I believe all stake holders must carry out their duties sincerely. Only then we would be able to implement road safety measures and policies," said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

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Singh added losing a life in an accident was not only a human tragedy but also a great loss to the country's economy.

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Road safety measures include safe and slow driving, following traffic rules, carrying the driving license, not using mobile phones while driving or walking on the roads, wearing safety helmets et al.