As part of the Road Safety Month, IRF-IC hosted its 10th lecture on “Safety of Motorised Two-Wheelers in India – How to Tackle it through Road & Vehicle Design Options?”. Dr. Rohit Baluja, President, Institute of Road Traffic Education was the Moderator at the event. Mr. Prashant K. Banerjee, Executive Director, Society of Indian Automobiles Manufacturers and Dr. Ravi Sekhar, Chief Scientist, CSIR – Central Road Research Institute were the Guest Speakers.  Mr. K. K. Kapila, President (Emeritus), IRF & Founder President, IRF-IC delivered the welcoming and opening remarks in the lecture. He mentioned that safe technological systems including ABS brakes for all two-wheelers cannot be ignored. He also stressed on the need for mandating airbags for two-wheelers and the helmets which do not allow a vehicle to start till worn. Dr. Rohit Baluja, emphasized the necessity for designated driving lanes to boost the safety of two-wheeler drivers, who are among the most vulnerable road users alongside pedestrians. He also mentioned that India needs to create its own vehicular safety systems instead of copying others. Click Here Mr. Prashant K. Banerjee, highlighted - India accounts for the highest road fatalities in the world. He also mentioned despite passenger vehicles adhering to best safety norms and having ultra-modern safety features installed, there is a lack of holistic enforcement procedures, a level-playing field and awareness amongst consumers regarding safer mobility. Click Here Dr. Ravi Sekhar, explained importance of Anti-lock Braking System (ABC) and Combined Braking System (CBS). He also addressed Road & Vehicle Design Solutions through IRC:SP:150-2025 Recommended Practices for the Planning and Designing of Motorized Two-Wheeler Lanes. Click Here For full lecture recording and presentation of Dr. Ravi Sekhar, visit IRF-IC’s website at https://www.deeppink-spider-459065.hostingersite.com

IRF India Chapter organized its 9th Webinar of the webinar series, titled “Capacity Augmentation & Service Life Enhancement of Bridges” - Managing assets for maximizing service life and serviceability demands innovative and modern technologies” on 13th May 2025 from 16:00 – 17:30 Hrs. The Webinar was attended by Road Safety Professionals, Research Scholars, Corporates, Highway Engineers, Road Planners, Academician, etc. Prof. P.K. Sikdar, Advisor, IRF-IC, introduced and invited the moderator of the webinar Mr. S. K. Puri, Executive Director, ICT Pvt. Ltd.  Mr. S. K. Puri, welcomed the distinguished Speakers and attendees. The following Speakers made presentations at the Webinar which are available on IRF-IC’s website www.deeppink-spider-459065.hostingersite.com Click Here - Dr. N. Anandavalli, Director, CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre, Chennai, stressed that India must shift to smarter solutions for infrastructure monitoring. She highlighted how modern technologies such as advanced instrumentation, AI, and data analysis can help identify internal damages that are often missed during manual inspections. She said that Bridges are the lifelines of our transport networks. Maintaining them in good condition is crucial for both safety and accessibility. She added that environmental factors, water exposure, air pollution, and increasing traffic loads lead to faster deterioration of infrastructure, making timely detection and repair imperative and most important. Using AI-based systems and embedded sensors -- an approach known as Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) -- can allow engineers to detect issues early, understand better the damage patterns, and plan maintenance more effectively. However, Dr. Anandavalli also pointed out a major challenge where, India was importing critical sensors at a very high cost. She opined that it is time we invested in developing our own sensor technology to reduce dependence on imports and make large-scale infrastructure monitoring more affordable. Click Here - Dr. Gopal Rai, CEO, Dhirendra Group of Company (DGC), explained the importance of Bridge Rehabilitation. He highlighted that while SHM systems offer many benefits over traditional inspections, their high cost remains a key hurdle. These technologies are essential for ensuring the safety and extending the lifespan of our bridges and tunnels, but they must become more accessible and affordable for widespread use. He also talked about band stressing method and groove laminate with their applications. Click Here

As part of the Road Safety Month, IRF-IC hosted its 9th lecture on “Traffic Enforcement in India – Why is it not successful in achieving Correction in Behaviour of Road Users ?”. Ms. Monika Bhardwaj, IPS, Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic (Zone-I), Delhi and Mr. Gurpreet Singh Basra, Business Unit Head - Traffic & Transit, Amnex Infotechnologies Pvt. Ltd. were the Guest Speakers. Mr. Akhilesh Srivastava, President, IRF - IC, delivered the welcome address and opening remarks. He also provided a brief overview of the objectives and initiatives of the International Road Federation – India Chapter’s Lecture Series. Prof. P. K. Sikdar, Advisor, IRF – IC, provided a brief overview of the lecture topic and introduced guest speakers of the event. Ms. Monika Bhardwaj, highlighted the behavior of road users, citing data on traffic challans. She mentioned that over the past five years, approximately 75 to 80 Lakhs challans have been issued annually. She mentioned that around 1,800 new vehicles are being registered daily in Delhi and it has already very high vehicle density. The lifespan of diesel vehicles is up to 10 years and for petrol vehicles, it is up to 15 years. However, the lifespan of approximately 55 to 60 Lakhs vehicles have already expired, yet many of them are possibly still operating on the roads in Delhi. Vehicles that have exceeded their permitted lifespan should no longer be on the roads, as they significantly contribute to the pollution problem in Delhi. To correct road user behavior, it is essential to address infrastructural gaps. Problems such as lack of proper road signage and markings need to be identified and resolved. There is a noticeable lack of awareness among road users regarding traffic norms and safety measures. Many people are unaware of road signages and markings, despite holding a valid driving license. She suggested 5 E’s to be implemented actively, which translates to Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Engagement, and Evaluation to correct Road user behavior. Click Here Mr. Gurpreet Singh Basra, emphasized about the different problems in which he highlighted the Cultural Normalization attitude in Road Users. He also mentioned that Enforcement in India must evolve from being a manual, reactive mechanism to a strategically designed behavioural ecosystem. He also highlighted that Technology offers the means, but the success lies in aligning systems with human psychology - certainty of detection, fairness of action, and clarity of consequence. Click Here For full lecture recording and presentation of Mr. Gurpreet Singh Basra, visit IRF-IC’s website at https://www.deeppink-spider-459065.hostingersite.com

IRF India Chapter organized its 8th Webinar of the webinar series, titled “Future of Infrastructure Development and Management Using Innovative Technologies_Hi-tech methods of managing design-construction-operation using AI, BIM, DT for optimizing on every front for best quality and economy” on 9th May 2025 from 17:00 – 18:30 Hrs. The Webinar was  attended by Road Safety Professionals, Research Scholars, Corporates, Highway Engineers, Road Planners, Academician, etc. Prof. P.K. Sikdar, Advisor, IRF-IC, introduced and invited the moderator of the webinar Prof. Manoranjan Parida, Director, CSIR-CRRI Prof. Manoranjan Parida, welcomed the distinguished Speakers and attendees. The following Speakers made presentations at the Webinar which are available on IRF-IC’s website www.deeppink-spider-459065.hostingersite.com - Mr. Venkata Subba Rao Chunduru, Director, Arcadis IBI Group highlighted the anatomy and importance of Digital Twin. He emphasized about how digital twin works and its uses in different Road safety cases like hazard detection & proactive interventions, work zone & construction risk management, incident managements and emergency response, intelligent traffic operations. - Click here for presentation - Mr. Bharani Kumar Depuru, CEO – AiSPRY & 360DigiTMG, explained any AI Project should started with 9 steps, which include- business understanding, data collection, data understanding, research on data and similar problems solved, Data Pre - processing, Model Building, Evaluation, Deployment and Model Monitoring & Maintenance. He also talked about few key accomplished projects which aligned with AI. Prof. Manoranjan Parida, concluded the session by adding, that CRRI was deeply engaged in the development of new materials where AI based application is also being used. Combination of AI based application and new materials gives very strong and effective solution to industry, looking for practical interventions.

As part of the Road Safety Month, IRF-IC hosted its 8 th lecture on “Assessment and Management of Road Safety in the School Zone – Who Is Responsible?”. The Guest of Honour at the evening was Shri D. Sarangi, DG (RD) & SS, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. Shri. K.K. Kapila, President (Emeritus), IRF, Founder President, IRF-IC, Shri. Akhilesh Srivastava, Executive Vice President, IRF-IC & Shri Swatantra Kumar, General Manager,Regulatory Affairs, 3M India Ltd were the Guest Speakers.Prof. Manoranjan Parida, Director, CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, was the special guest at the event. Shri D. Sarangi, highlighted that in the year 2023 around 1.72 lakh road fatalities, with 60% of the victims being vulnerable road users and 35% under the age of 35 were reported in India. He mentioned about “e-Dar” which stands for electronic version of Detailed Accident Report, which collects quicker data and analysis to enhance road safety efforts. This e-DAR is completely working across the country. The 2024 e-DAR report reveals that 4.6% of road accidents in india occurred in school zones, including colleges. He stated that MoRTH plans to introduce road safety education into the school curriculum in upcoming academic session. He also mentioned that Ministry is also working to address major black spots on National Highways. Shri. K.K. Kapila, addressed the concept of 5Es of road safety namely, Engineering of Roads, Engineering of Vehicles & Policy Intervention, Education & Mass Awareness, Enforcement and Emergency Care. He also highlighted 3 targets to be introduced during the coming months for Road Safety, which includes Helmets, Airbags for two wheelers and Motorcycle Ambulance. Shri. Akhilesh Srivastava, emphasized about the IRF – IC School Zone Safety Programme. He briefly explained, the school zone safety monitoring portal & capacity building online course details of which are available at our website www.deeppink-spider-459065.hostingersite.com. Shri Swatantra Kumar, GM, 3M, explained 3M’s Traffic Safety Social Initiatives. He described 3M’s initiatives of creating safer school zone & the work 3M is undertaking in association with IRF-IC.Presentations by : Mr. Akhilesh Srivastava Mr. Swatantra KumarProgrammePhotogalleryRecording

IRF India Chapter organized its 7th Webinar of the webinar series, titled " Stabilisation in Road Construction – Performance & Economy_Oldest method of pavement quality enhancement still not used routinely; how can this be changed for all future works” on 06th November 2024 from 17:00 – 18:30 Hrs. The Webinar was well attended by Road Safety Professionals, Research Scholars, Corporates, Highway Engineers, Road Planners, Academician, etc. Mr. Akhilesh Srivastava, Executive Vice President, IRF-IC introduced and invited the moderator of the webinar Prof. A. Veeraragavan, Former Professor, IIT Madras. Prof. A. Veeraragavan welcomed the distinguished Speakers and attendees. The following Speakers made presentation at the Webinar - Dr. Shubham Kalore, Technical Manager – Roads, Zydex Industries Private Limited - Click here for presentation Dr. Dharamveer Singh, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay - Click here for presentation

The International Road Federation – India Chapter (IRF-IC) recently hosted its 7th lecture as part of the ongoing Lecture Series 2.0. The focus was on "Something must change for better Road Safety Management in India – It is going from Bad to Worse". The Guest Speakers at the evening were Mr. Akhilesh Srivastava, Advisor, WEF & Road Safety Ambassador, IRF-IC, Mr. Naresh Raghvan, TopDriver Education LLP, Hyderabad, TS and Prof. P K Sikdar, Former Director CSIR-CRRI & Advisor IRF-IC Mr. Akhilesh Srivastava, described the Risk factors for diverse road user behavior and 5Es concept of Road Safety. He also moderated the lecture and invited the guest speakers to deliver the talk. Mr. Naresh Raghvan, explained how to Improve Road Safety via Compulsory Driver Education (CDE). He has created and published india’s first driving manuals on driver education, approved by RTA. He has also created audio-visual driver education courses in english and hindi which are available to general public on udemy.com. He highlighted 50 basic Road Rules which need enforcement & education. Prof. P K Sikdar, emphasized on Safe System Approach for Road Safety. He further described the concept of 5 Es of Road Safety including - Engineering of roads, Engineering of vehicles, Education & Campaign, Enforcement (24x7 enforcement) & Emergency care. He pointed out the reasons as to why Road Safety was not improving in India.Presentations by : Prof. P.K.Sikdar Mr. Naresh RaghvanPhotogalleryRecording

About the IRF World Congress 2024 Istanbul – the city on two continents – will be hosting the IRF World Congress on 15-18 October 2024. Held every four years, the IRF World Congress has represented – for almost seven decades – an opportunity to celebrate the road and mobility sectors as enablers of growth and development. Embracing the theme “Connecting to Empower Mobility: Roads as Enablers of a Sustainable Future for All”, the congress will serve as a platform for global leaders, industry experts, academia, and diverse public and private stakeholders to engage in insightful discussions and collaborative efforts, addressing pivotal issues and exploring innovations within the road and mobility sectors. “The chosen theme reflects our dedication to envisioning a future where roads serve as pathways to empower mobility in all its forms – whether on foot, on a bicycle, on public transport or a motor vehicle, in urban or rural areas – thus connecting communities and fostering sustainable development on a global scale”, emphasises IRF President, Mr Anouar Benazzouz. “The IRF World Congress 2024 will be an inspiring journey on how to pave the way for a future where roads are part of a transportation system that unites, empowers, and provides access to opportunities to all”, he added. The mysticism of the East and the modernity of the West, the constant time travel between the past and the future, the balance of the traditional and the modern.  

The International Road Federation – India Chapter (IRF-IC) recently hosted its 6th lecture as part of the ongoing Lecture Series 2.0. The focus was on "Evaluation of Safety Performance of Road Infrastructure by Surrogate Measures". The Guest Speakers at the evening were Dr. P. Vedagiri, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Bombay, Dr. S.S. Puwar, Director-Technical, Gawar Construction Limited (GCL) and Prof. Indrajit Ghosh, Professor, Civil Engineering Department, IIT Roorkee. Dr. P. Vedagiri, described the main objectives of Road Infrastructure, Haddon Matrix for Road Crash. He further highlighted the Risk factors for road traffic injury and road user diversity behavior. He explained the concept of Post Encroachment time representing the difference in time between the passages of the “offended” and “conflicted” road users over a common conflict zone (i.e. area of potential collision). Dr. S.S. Puwar, explained surrogate safety measures and pyramids of traffic events. He also highlighted his study identifying the surrogate safety measures and their use to evaluate how they affect the crash and intensity of the crash. Microsimulation is applied to extract surrogate safety measures and also develop surrogate safety assessment models (SSAM). Prof. Indrajit Ghosh, emphasized the analysis of Pedestrian Conflict with Right-Turning Vehicles at Signalized Intersections. He further described the Post Encroachment time, Time to vehicles, time to accidents, Deceleration to safety time, etc. He also pointed out the yielding Behavior of Pedestrians and Vehicles and explained the Modal Dominance Index.ProgrammePresentations by : Dr. P. VedagiriDr. S.S. PuwarProf. Indrajit GhoshPhotogallery Audio Recording

IRF India Chapter organized its 6th Webinar of the webinar series, titled "New Age and Perpetual Pavement for Performance and Economy - Technology and Design Methods for eliminating any requirement of major maintenance of Road Pavements” on 19th September 2024 from 17:00 – 18:30 Hrs. The Webinar was well attended by Road Safety Professionals, Research Scholars, Corporates, Highway Engineers, Road Planners, Academician, etc. Prof. P.K. Sikdar, Advisor, IRF-IC introduced and invited the moderator of the webinar Prof. A. Veeraragavan, Former Professor, IIT Madras. Prof. A. Veeraragavan welcomed the distinguished Speakers and attendees. The following Speakers make presentation at the Webinar which are available on IRF-IC’s website www.deeppink-spider-459065.hostingersite.com 1. Ms. Atasi Das, Assistant Vice President, G R Infraprojects Limited - Click here for presentation 2. Prof. Nikhil Saboo, Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee - Click here for presentation

The International Road Federation – India Chapter (IRF-IC) recently hosted its 5th lecture as part of the ongoing Lecture Series 2.0. The focus was on "Adoption of Technologies for Better Traffic Management and Road Safety – How and What?". The Chief Guest at the evening was Mr. Ajay Chaudhry, IPS, Special Commissioner (Traffic), Delhi Police – Traffic and the guest speakers were Dr. S. Velmurugan, Chief Scientist, CRRI, and Mr. Ravikumar D., D&E Head Smart City, Bharat Electronics Ltd. Special CP, Traffic, highlighted that Lok Adalats are becoming major hindrance for disciplining traffic violators as huge fines get reduced or totally waived off and the violators get away with small fines, which not only results in loss of revenue but also becomes major cause for further traffic violations. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kapila emphasized that promoting a safe transportation system requires a holistic approach including Engineering of roads, Engineering of vehicles, Enforcement, Education and Emergency care. These 5Es have been realized world over as pillars of success to promote road safety. The successful implementation of the 5E’s in road safety results in increased awareness, safer road infrastructure, better compliance with traffic laws, encouragement of responsible behavior, and continuous refinement of safety measures. Dr. S. Velmurugan, Chief Scientist, CRRI gave a presentation on Integration of Technology and Road Engineering and dwelt on Artificial Intelligence powered ADAS to tackle aspects like road safety, Vehicle Safety Vector and Driver Safety Performance, Mobility Safety Vector, Infrastructure Safety Vector, Education, Awareness Campaign and Emergency Care, Project iRASTE. A detailed presentation is available as part of the Lecture material in this section. Mr. Ravikumar D, D&E Head, Smart City, Bharat Electronics Ltd., gave his presentation on Sundargarh Smart City and shared the issues on highways, proposed solution for Sundargarh, technologies like Incident response and situation awareness, ANPR and Speed Detection Sensors, Road Ways Sensors, Traffic congestion detection, Over Speed Detection System, Inductive Loop Detection, etc. A detailed presentation is available as part of the lecture material in this section.ProgrammePhotogallery Audio Recording

IRF India Chapter organized the 5 th Webinar of the Webinar Series 2.0,titled “Sustainable Alternative Industrial Waste Materials for Infrastructure Development – Which all industrial wastes have the merit and availability to change the ecosystem of infrastructure developments” on 9 th August 2024 from 17:00  – 18:30 Hrs. At the outset, Mr. K.K. Kapila, Founder President, IRF-IC introduced and invited the moderator of the webinar Prof. Manoranjan Parida. Prof. Manoranjan Parida, Director, CRRI, welcomed the distinguished Speakers,Panelists and attendees. The following Speakers and Panelists joined the Webinar and shared their thoughts and observations which are available on IRF-IC’s website www.deeppink-spider-459065.hostingersite.com 1. Dr. Bhupendra Singh, Assistant Professor, IIT Jodhpur.Click here for presentation 2. Dr. D. Satish Kumar, General Manager – Research & Development, JSW Steel.Click here for presentation 3. Mr. U.K. Guruvittal, Former Chief Scientist, Geotechnical Engineering Division – CSIR Central Road Research InstituteClick here for presentation

The International Road Federation – India Chapter (IRF-IC) recently hosted its 4th lecture as part of the ongoing Lecture Series 2.0. The focus was on "ITS Policy in India and Specifications for ATMS for Sustainable Enforcement in the Primary Network." The lecture was moderated by Mr. Akhilesh Srivastava, Executive Vice President, IRF-IC and the Guest Speakers include Mr. Harsh Nisar, Advisor (IT), NHAI and Mr. Rakesh Bhat, General Manager, Trafitek Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Mr. Akhilesh Srivastava who has been instrumental in ATMS specification during his stint in NHAI, welcome the Guest Speaker and set the tone for the lecture. Mr. Harsh Nisar, Advisor IT at NHAI, delivered an insightful lecture on the importance of Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) in India. He emphasized the critical role ATMS plays in reducing incident response times and preventing incidents. The system integrates physical enforcement through route patrol vehicles and digital enforcement via e-challans, with the service of 1033 being a notable example. In India, Variable Message Signs (VMS) are intended to provide dynamic information but often function like ordinary signboards. Mr. Nisar highlighted that modern cameras are not just for recording videos; they are equipped with features like detecting violations. ATMS software includes provisions for scanning videos at any point, generating incident lists for auditing, and ensuring incident management focuses on prevention.He stressed the need for a holistic approach to traffic management and mentioned that video recordings should be saved for 180 days. Given the high costs, it is essential to prioritize locations and then empower these areas with the necessary technology. Mr. Rakesh Bhat, General Manager - Business Development at Trafitek Solutions Pvt. Ltd., delivered an informative lecture on the current challenges and recommendations for Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) in India. He emphasized that the absence of standardized regulations leads to the purchase of substandard and low-quality products, compromising commuter safety. This lack of uniformity also hinders the seamless integration of various ITMS systems. The shortage of quality laboratories, evaluation authorities, and certification bodies results in the use of falsely compliant and uncertified products. Mr. Bhat proposed creating Indian Standards (IS) aligned with European standards, along with third-party audits to ensure fair implementation.Public awareness campaigns are crucial to educate citizens about the benefits of ITS and encourage their active participation. Providing platforms for public feedback and suggestions is also essential. A robust regulatory framework should outline the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders, compliance requirements, and enforcement mechanisms for ITS implementation. Collaboration between government entities and private companies is encouraged to leverage expertise, technology, and investment for developing and deploying ITS solutions. Integrating ATMS with urban development plans ensures that infrastructure supports sustainable growth and mobility. Mr. Bhat noted that various challenges, such as regulatory and policy issues, operational challenges, and funding constraints, can impact the adoption and effectiveness of ATMS.Photogallery Audio Recording

The International Road Federation – India Chapter (IRF-IC) recently hosted its 3rd lecture as part of the ongoing Lecture Series 2.0. The focus was on "What is Wrong in the Legal System of Road Safety (Accident) Adjudication – There is no Means to Prove Innocence." The event featured guest speakers Justice J.R. Midha, Former Judge, Delhi High Court, and Dr. Arun Mohan, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India. The Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act of 2019 has brought in many changes, especially some drastic provisions for increased fines for the violations, which was making sensations during first 3-4 months after the Act was implemented. That was meant for deterring the violations and to avoid and minimize the road accidents. But there has been no effect of these enhanced fines for different violations in terms of improved discipline or the road user behaviours. Basically, most of the accidents are happening due to the rogue behaviours of a class of road users. Most disciplined road users also get involved in an accident due to others’ irresponsible behaviours on roads. There is no way in this country to prove innocence. Also, Police attending the accident scene has absolutely no idea about how and why an accident takes place, except his/her general knowledge. Basically the unwritten rule is that both are at fault, because the Insurance Rule dictates that insurance of each vehicle will pay for the repairs of the damages. Since there is no way that the responsibility can be fixed, this is the simple way the damages are claimed from respective insurances. But this is not so in most developed countries – and how they fix responsibility of the accident, and all claims/damages are paid by responsible party only. A very large part of the problem is caused by the very poor, slack, immoral, and partisan enforcement without any use of technology or techniques. Further, there is practically no enforcement on all lower modes using the roads, e.g. pedestrian, bicycle, e-Rickshaw, Motorcycle, and so on. There appears to be no road rules for motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians and e-Rickshaws, etc. There is a soft corner from enforcement agency for all of them, and there is no enforcement for their irresponsible behaviours. At present the proportion of fatality to 2-wheeler riders is 45% in 2022 out of total fatalities in India as 168,491. If road rules are practiced as in developed world making irresponsible road users responsible for accidents, then India will have 80% fatalities to 2-wheeler riders and other lower modes. Actually other vehicles continuously save them in the traffic stream inconveniencing themselves and often by jeopardising their own safety. A car or truck driver, even when he is travelling at permitted urban speed of 50 km/h, if a pedestrian or cyclist unexpectedly comes in front he/she will be run over and will probably be killed. There is no mechanism in the motor vehicles to stop instantaneously. If there is no CCTV footage, only victim and the motor vehicle driver being in scene of incident, who will decide the responsibility of this accident. As per Indian Police’s unwritten rule, the bigger mode is always responsible for the accident; and there is no means to prove or establish innocence. The IRF-IC Webinar focussed on this critical issue of accident adjudication in India. While the laws of the country should punish the culprits, it must have provisions for safeguarding the innocents. It is necessary to use advanced technologies and educate/train enforcement agencies for handling the accident cases with correct facts of incident. The Good Samaritan Law is a clear example in the country, as no one touched an accident victim till this law was enacted. The entire system of recording, reporting and adjudication of accidents should be a fair, truthful and impartial system for supporting innocents.Programme- 3rd Lecture -12th July 2024Photogallery Audio Recording

IRF India Chapter organized the 3 rd Webinar of the Webinar Series 2.0,titled “Sustainable Development of Infrastructure Using Low Carbon Cement Concrete Construction” on 19 th June 2024 from 17:00 – 18:30 Hrs. At the outset, Mr. K.K. Kapila, Founder President, IRF-IC welcomed the participants and gave a brief review of the Webinar series. He invited Prof. P.K. Sikdar to welcome the distinguished Speakers, Panelists and attendees. The following Speakers and Panelists joined the Webinar and shared their thoughts and observations which are available on IRF-IC’s website www.deeppink-spider-459065.hostingersite.com 1. Mr. V.N. Heggade, Founder & CEO, DECon Complete Solutions 2. Dr. V. Ramachandra, Principal Advisor – Tech Services, Ultratech Cement Ltd. (Topic: Moving Towards Net Zero in Concrete Constructions – Opportunities &Challenges)

The International Road Federation – India Chapter (IRF-IC) recently hosted its 2nd lecture as part of the ongoing Lecture Series 2.0. The focus was on "Accident Investigation & Crash Data Analysis – To Answer Who is Responsible." The event featured guest speakers Mr. Tony Mathew, Principal Transport Specialist at TRL India, and Mr. Jigar Soni, Senior Automotive Injury Analyst at JP Research India Pvt Ltd. Both organizations are deeply involved in Accident Data Research. Here are the key highlights from their presentations: Mr. Tony Mathew discussed Data Systems for Road Asset Management using a digital platform for storage, planning, tactical execution, and operations management. He shared insights from a case study in Himachal Pradesh, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning and supportive policies to enhance road safety through practical implementation. Mr. Jigar Soni delved into the complexities of Road Traffic Crashes and the significance of capturing accurate data through scientific crash investigations. He highlighted the data-driven environment and the use of the Haddon’s Matrix for injury interventions and prevention strategies. For detailed presentations, visit IRF-IC’s website at https://deeppink-spider-459065.hostingersite.com. In addition to the lectures, IRF-IC introduced its School Zone Safety Program, launched by Hon. Minister Nitin Gadkari ji on January 24, 2024. Based on IRC’s SP 32 for School Zone Safety, the program aims to survey schools across India, identify infrastructure gaps, and assess traffic-related parameters within the 300 to 500 m school zone. An online Capacity Building Program for School Zone Auditors, covering 15 lakh schools nationwide, is also underway. Certificates were awarded to professionals and students who completed the online course. Explore IRF-IC’s School Zone Safety program at lms.deeppink-spider-459065.hostingersite.com. For queries, contact 9205994744. Stay tuned for more updates on the Lecture series as we continue to advance road safety and policy initiatives!Photogallery Audio Recording

IRF India Chapter organized the 2nd Webinar of the Webinar Series 2.0, titled “Smart & Intelligent Equipment for Modern and Top-Quality Infrastructure Developments” on 16th May 2024 from 17:00 – 18:30 Hrs. At the outset, Mr. Akhilesh Srivastava, Executive Vice President, IRF-IC welcomed the participants and gave a brief review of the Webinar series. He welcomed the distinguished Speakers, Panelists and attendees. The following Speakers and Panelists joined the Webinar and shared their thoughts and observations which are available on IRF-IC’s website www.deeppink-spider-459065.hostingersite.com 1. Mr. Amit Kumar Sinha, IPS, ADG, Uttarakhand Police 2. Mr. Amit Saxena, Regional Sales Manager, Trimble view presentation here 3. Mr. Abhijit Padhye, Business Head, Gainwell Commosales Pvt. Ltd.

IRF India Chapter organized the 1st Lecture in the series, titled “Methods of Crash Data Collection and Management” on 25th April 2024 from 18:00 – 19:30 Hrs. At the outset, Mr. K.K. Kapila, Founder President, IRF-IC welcomed the participants and gave a brief overview of the Lecture series. He welcomed the distinguished Guest Speakers, Special Guests and attendees. The following Speakers and Special Guests joined the Lecture and shared their thoughts and observations. 1. Guest Speaker – Prof. P.K. Sikdar, Adviser, IRF-IC 2. Guest Speaker – Mr. Joydeep Shome, DDG & HoG, National Informatics Centre 3. Special Guest – Dr. B.D. Paulson, ADG (Traffic), Road Safety, Govt. of U.P. 4. Special Guest – Maj. Gen. Ashok Kumar, Vice President, IRF-IC, and DirectorGeneral Works, Indian Armed Forces 5. Special Guest – Dr. Arun Mohan, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India 6. Mr. Akhilesh Srivastava, Executive Vice President, IRF India Chapter The Guest Speakers at the Lecture were Prof. P.K. Sikdar and Mr. Joydeep Shome. Prof. Sikdar shared his presentation and highlighted the causes of accident/crashes, poor infrastructure management, lack of reliable crash/accident data among others. Mr. Joydeep Shome shared his presentation and spoke about iRAD/eDAR application to collect, store, manage, analyse, interpret and visualize the road accident information. Mr. Akhilesh Srivastava presented Vote of Thanks.PhotogalleryAudio Recording

IRF India Chapter organized the 1st Webinar of the Webinar Series 2.0, titled “Availability of Quality Construction Equipment for Quality Roads & Bridges” on 11th April 2024 from 17:00 – 18:30 Hrs. At the outset, Prof. P.K. Sikdar, Advisor, IRF-IC welcomed the participants and gave a brief review of the Webinar series. He welcomed the distinguished Speakers, Panelists and attendees. The following Speakers and Panelists joined the Webinar and shared their thoughts and observations which are available on IRF-IC’s website www.deeppink-spider-459065.hostingersite.com 1. Mr. Satin Sachdeva, Founder & Secretary General, CERA (Topic: Indian Construction Equipment Rental) 2. Mr. Subrata Das (Topic: Equipment Selection: Criteria and Decision-Making – A Contractor’s Perspective)

The need for efficient and sustainable road infrastructure has become more crucial than ever in present day.  The demand for well-designed and well-maintained roads has increased tremendously. To meet the rapidly growing population & expanding urbanization, it is imperative to revolutionize road infrastructure development by incorporating modern equipment, cutting-edge technologies, sustainable materials, and comprehensive policy guidelines. Traditional methods of road construction and maintenance are often time-consuming, labour-intensive, and prone to producing low quality. By embracing advanced machinery and tools, such as automated pavers, intelligent compaction systems, and robotic surveying devices, we can significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of road construction processes. Furthermore, the integration of cutting-edge technologies is essential in revolutionizing road infrastructure. Technologies like Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Building Information Modelling (BIM), and AI can provide planning, implementation and management of real-time data and insights, enabling better planning, design, and maintenance of roads. Traditional road construction materials, such as asphalt, have significant environmental impacts due to their high carbon footprint and non-renewable nature. The sustainable alternatives like recycled materials, bio-based binders, and permeable pavements, can not only contribute to a greener future but also provide cost-effective solutions in the long run. Lastly, comprehensive policy guidelines are crucial for revolutionizing road infrastructure. Governments and regulatory bodies need to establish clear and forward-thinking policies that promote the adoption of modern equipment, technologies, and sustainable materials should encourage innovation, with appropriate research and development, and ensure the implementation of best practices in road construction and maintenance. IRF India's forthcoming National Conference-cum-Exhibition to be held during February 29 - March 1, 2024 will strive to bring together the above aspects through a wide range of Presentations made by Experts as well as showcase for the technologies in the Exhibition which will run concurrently.   Media Coverage https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/technology/2844333-india-built-around-92000-km-national-highways-in-last-95-years-jain https://www.newsdrum.in/business/india-built-around-92000-km-national-highways-in-last-95-years-jain-4130030 https://m.economictimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/govt-has-built-95000-km-of-national-highways-in-last-10-years-road-secretary-anurag-jain/articleshow/108104576.cms https://www.zeebiz.com/india/news-india-built-around-92000-km-national-highways-in-last-95-years-morth-secretary-278483 https://www.deccanherald.com/india/india-built-92000-kms-of-national-highway-in-last-decade-transport-secretary-anurag-jain-2915734 https://thefederal.com/category/business/india-built-92000-km-of-national-highways-in-last-95-years-jain-112046 https://www.ibc24.in/business/india-built-92000-km-of-national-highways-in-last-95-years-jain-2394277.html https://www.financialexpress.com/business/roadways-morth-acheives-significant-milestone-in-last-9-5-years-india-built-around-92000-km-national-highways-details-3409523/ https://orissadiary.com/india-has-built-around-92000-km-national-highways-in-last-nine-and-half-years/ https://westerntimesnews.in/news/305318/india-has-built-around-92000-km-national-highways-in-last-nine-and-half-years/ https://www.zeebiz.com/india/news-india-built-around-92000-km-national-highways-in-last-95-years-morth-secretary-278483 https://www.navbug.uk/article508811415/morth_achieves_significant_milestone_in_last_9_5_years_india_built_around_92_000_km_national_highways_details.htm https://indiashippingnews.com/around-92000-km-national-highways-have-been-built-in-last-9-5-years-morth/ https://thefederal.com/category/business/india-built-92000-km-of-national-highways-in-last-95-years-jain-112046 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/national-highway-construction-set-to-touch-95000-km-in-10-years-of-modi-government/articleshow/108117513.cms https://en.sangritimes.com/india-has-constructed-a-network-of-92000-km-of-national-highways-in-the-last-95-years-this-new-record-will-be-made-soon https://www.mypunepulse.com/india-over-95000-kms-of-national-highways-built-in-last-one-decade-major-boost-to-infra-development/ https://pune.news/nation/india-achieves-milestone-over-95000-kilometers-of-national-highways-built-in-the-last-decade-147128/

IRF India Chapter organized a Conference titled “Vision Zero : Targeting Road Safety by 5Es with Innovative Technologies” on 24th January 2024 from 02:30 pm – 07:30 pm as part of the Observance of Road Safety Month 2024. The Conference was supported by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and Sponsored by Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. The Conference was graced by the Hon’ble Minister, MoRT&H, Shri. Nitin J. Gadkari Ji, Shri. Anurag Jain, IAS, Secretary (RT&H), Shri. Sudhendju J. Sinha, Advisor, Niti Aayog and distinguished Speakers from the Government and the Industry. The Conference was divided into:- Inaugural Session Technical Session – 1 Technical Session – 2 Session with the Chief Guest, Hon’ble Minister, MoRT&H Key highlights of the event are as under:- At the Inaugural session, IRF president emeritus K K Kapila said promoting a safe transportation system required a holistic approach including engineering of roads, engineering of vehicles, enforcement, education and emergency care. In his Keynote Address at the Inaugural Session, Mr. Anurag Jain, IAS, Secretary, MoRT&H said road safety audit of all national highways (NHs) in the country will be achieved soon and the ministry plans to launch zero complaint for road maintenance, making all highways fully maintained by the authorities concerned. He further said about 4,000 black spots have been rectified in the last three years. "At present, more than 9,000 black spots have been identified...The ministry has set a challenging target of March 2025 to rectify all black spots in the country," he said. The linked authorities will be held responsible for pot holes and poor maintenance of roads soon and make them accountable, he added. He informed that across the nation very soon, MoRTH plans to introduce cashless medical treatment for all injured accident victims. In his address, the Hon’ble Minister (RT&H) informed that the Ministry will soon be adopting qualitative tendering process instead of least cost bidding process to bring in quality and road safety in various projects as qualitative tendering will help incorporating safer road safety features in designs keeping in mind the behavior of the road users. He mentioned that “there have been several cases where officers in the Ministry have down away with safety features in highway projects to bring down costs and in the name of making them financially viable. Road engineering is the biggest culprit for increasing road accidents in the country. Recently road safety audit was done of seven roads in the country about 57 engineering shortcomings were found on Pune-Mumbai expressway alone and 25-28 percent engineering defects on other roads. After rectification of 57 faults on Pune-Mumbai expressway the accident rate has almost come down to zero” said Mr. Gadkari. Photo Gallery Media Coverage: https://www.financialexpress.com/business/roadways-highways-ministry-to-adopt-qualitative-tendering-process-instead-of-l1-system-says-nitin-gadkari-3375463/ https://www.businessworld.in/article/Highway-Ministry-Adopts-Quality-cost-Evaluation-For-Road-Projects-Bids/26-01-2024-507680/ https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/govt-to-adopt-qualitative-tendering-process-instead-of-l1-system-gadkari-124012500624_1.html https://www.psuconnect.in/news/morth-to-change-tendering-system-soon-from-l1-bids/40959/    

The IRF India Chapter organized a Conference on the theme of “Fast Tracking Road Safety Through 5Es” at the India International Centre, New Delhi on 17th January 2023.The Conference was a part of IRF’s relentless mission aimed at reducing the number of road fatalities and injuries caused by accidents in the country. Warmly welcoming the participants to the Conference, Mr. Satish Parakh, President, IRF IC elaborated on the long and distinguished record of various activities of IRF IC and particularly its work on the 5Es of Road Safety, namely, Engineering of Roads, Engineering of Vehicles, Education, Enforcement and Traffic Management and Emergency Care. He felt that incremental knowledge would emerge from the deliberations of the Conference. The Conference was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Justice (Retd.) Adarsh Kumar Goel, Chairperson, National Green Tribunal.  The Guest of Honour at the event was Justice (Retd.) J.R. Midha. Mr. K.K. Kapila, Chairman, IRF, delivered the Thematic address elaborating on the five E’s of Road safety, which is the key to improvement in the road safety scenario in the country. Professionals from Government, Industry and Not for profit organizations well versed with the 5Es of road sector namely, Engineering, Education, Enforcement, and Emergency Care and related aspects addressed the sessions and elaborated on the sub-themes related to the conference theme, making for an in-depth analysis of the various issues involved. The Conference was well attended by delegates and invitees representing all major stakeholders of the road sector; Ministry of Road Transport, National Highways Authority of India, State Departments and Institutions, Police officials, road sector consultants, suppliers, manufacturers, contractors and concessionaires, ITS companies, environment experts, etc. The Event covered on 5 aspects, through Panel discussions on: Engineering of RoadsVehicular Engineering & Policy CorrectionsRoad Safety Education & Mass AwarenessEnforcement & Traffic ManagementEmergency Care Management The Recommendations arising out of these panel discussions are being collated to be appropriately taken forward for implementation.

IRF India Chapter organized the 3rd and concluding Webinar in the series, titled “Road Safety Education & Awareness – A Comprehensive Approach” on 7th December 2022 from 15:30 – 17:30 Hrs. Prof. P.K. Sikdar, Advisor, IRF-IC welcomed the participants at the Webinar. He set the context and briefed the participants about the Webinar series. He opined that creating awareness to road safety is one of the key aspects of 5Es of safe road system and knowledge creation was a continuous and iterative process. IRF India’s current webinar series strived in that direction. The present webinar, he mentioned, will present notable Janbhagidari efforts by few not-for-government organizations. With this, he introduced the Webinar Moderator, Prof. Manoranjan Parida, Director, Central Road Research Institute (CRRI). Prof. Parida introduced the Webinar and the Speakers. 1. Mr. Akhilesh Srivastava, Road Safety Ambassador, IRF (Topic: Role of Social Media for Educating Masses on Road Safety) 2. Mr. Jehaan Kotwal, Director, GoodMind, (Topic: Sensitization of Truck Drivers to Road Safety – An Initiative by HumSafer) 3. Ms. Rajni Gandhi, General Secretary, TRAX Sports Society (Topic: Right Messaging in Road Safety Awareness & Education – Role of Media) 4. Prof. P.K. Sikdar, Advisor, IRF - IC (Topic: Sensitizing Stakeholders for Safety of VRUs) 5. Ms. Vandana Lakhanpal, Co-Founder, Prabhaav Foundation (Topic: Role of Civil Society / Community for Public Awareness on Road Safety (Janbhagidari)) Summing up the insights gained from the Presentations, Prof. Manoranjan Parida conducted the Question & Answer session. Recording of 3rd Webinar on the subject “Role of Stakeholders in Creating Awareness for Road Safety”

IRF India Chapter organized the 2nd Webinar in the series, titled “Road Safety Education & Awareness – A Comprehensive Approach” on 20th October 2022 from 15:30 – 18:00 Hrs. At the outset, Mr. K.K. Kapila, President (Emeritus), IRF welcomed the participants at the Webinar. He set the context of the webinar and also briefed the participants about the Webinar series. He spoke about IRF-IC’s recent activities including 5Es activities that IRF-IC has undertaken in the 7 states of India. He also informed the audience about Road Safety Anthem, which IRF has produced in 23 regional and 10 international languages. He introduced Prof. P.K. Sikdar, as a Moderator, of the Webinar. Prof. P.K. Sikdar while introducing the Webinar, shared his presentation and introduced the Speakers of the Webinar. 1. Dr. Navdeep Asija, Traffic Advisor, Government of Punjab (Topic: Focused measures on VRUs) 2. Mr. Rajeev Kapur, Managing Director, Steelbird H-Tech India, (Topic: Mass scale initiatives like use of helmets, lane driving, reflectors, etc. to maximize the impact) 3. Dr. H.M. Naqvi, Chief General Manager, NHAI (Topic: Role of Local & Central Governments) 4. Ms. Aishwarya Raman, Executive Director, OMI Foundation (Topic: Role of Local & Central Governments – A Case Study) 5. Dr. Ammu Gopalakrishnan, Specialist – Traffic Engineering, 3M India Limited (Topic: Road Safety Measures for Vulnerable Road Users) 6. Mr. Pankaj Singh, Head of Safety – Cement Business, Adani Group (Topic: Facilitate Infrastructure for VRUs) Summing up the insights gained from the Presentations, Prof. P.K. Sikdar conducted the Question & Answer session. Recording of 2nd Webinar on the subject “Awareness around Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) : Biggest Lever for Enhancing Road Safety”

IRF India Chapter organized the 1st Webinar in the series, titled “Road Safety Education & Awareness – A Comprehensive Approach” on 20th September 2022 from 13:30 – 18:00 Hrs. At the outset, Mr. Satish Parakh, President, IRF-IC welcomed the participants at the Webinar. He set the context of the webinar and also briefed the participants about the Webinar series. He invited Mr. K.K. Kapila, President (Emeritus), IRF for his Keynote Address. Mr. K.K. Kapila, welcomed the participants and spoke about IRF-IC’s recent activities including 5Es activities that IRF-IC has undertaken in the 7 states of India. He also informed the audience about Road Safety Anthem, which IRF has produced in 23 regional and 10 international languages. He welcomed Mr. Gaurav Hariom Gupta, Director, MoRT&H for Ministry’s work in the road safety domain. He, as a Moderator, introduced the Speakers of the Webinar, who are as under:- 1. Mr. Akhilesh Srivastava, Advisor, World Economic Forum (Topic: School Curriculum on Road Safety & Road Safety Club in Schools) 2. Prof. Prajapati Trivedi, Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for SDG Implementation & Distinguished Professor, Management Development Institute, (Topic: Culture of Road Safety starting from Schools & Role and Responsibility of Parents, Teachers, School Administration) 3. Mr. N. Balasubramanian, Skilling Consultant & Master Trainer Road Safety (Topic: Safety in School Transport Fleet & Training of Drivers of School Fleet) 4. Dr. P.K. Sarkar, Consultant, Transport Planning (Topic: Safety for School Buses Using RFID Technology) Summing up the insights gained from the Presentations, Mr. K.K. Kapila conducted the Question & Answer session. Recording of 1st Webinar on the subject “Road Safety Education During Formative Years”

International Road Federation – India Chapter (IRF-IC) in association with its esteemed member, Avery Dennison, has organized a half-day Seminar on “Safer Roads & Safer Mobility” on Tuesday, 14th June 2022 from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM at Seminar Hall No. 1, 2 & 3, India International Centre, 40, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi – 110003.

IRF India Chapter organized the 12th and the concluding Webinar in the series, titled “Sustainable Development with Road Safety” on 15th December 2021 from 16:30 – 18:45 Hrs. At the outset, Mr. K.K. Kapila, President (Emeritus), IRF, and Founder President, IRF-IC welcomed the participants and gave a brief review of the Webinar series. He informed that the Hon’ble Minister could not make it due to his preoccupation in the parliament, however, he has sent a message. He welcomed the distinguished Speakers, Panelists, and attendees. The following Speakers and Panelists joined the Webinar and shared their thoughts and observations which are available on IRF-IC’s website www.deeppink-spider-459065.hostingersite.com The Guest Speaker at the Webinar was Mr. K.C. Gupta, Addl. Secretary,Incharge Road Safety, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. Mr. Gupta shared his thoughts during the webinar. Ms.Estibaliz Barañano, Director General, ASIMOB (Topic: Technology as Enabler for Sustainability in Mobility & Road Sector)Mr. K.K. Kapila, President (Emeritus), IRF Geneva, (Topic: What Works and What Does not for Road Safety in Developing World)Mrs. QuyLinh Nguyen, Program Director, AIPF-Vietnam (Topic: Sustainable Transport and Road Safety)Mr.Amit Bhatt, Executive Director, WRI India (Topic: Sustainable Development & Road Safety in Reference to India) Recording of 12th Webinar on the subject “Sustainable Development with Road Safety”

IRF India Chapter organized the 11th Webinar in the series, titled “Strengthening Emergency Care System along the National Highways / Expressways – A National Priority” on17thNovember 2021 from 16:30 – 19:00 Hrs. At the outset, Mr. K.K. Kapila, President (Emeritus),IRF and Founder President, IRF-IC welcomed the participants and briefly explained about the objective of the Webinar.  He mentioned that the 5th E of Road Safety, the Emergency Trauma Care was an important aspect which needed to be fast tracked by allocating due financial resources. There were concerns pertaining to handling of Trauma on our Highways and Expressways in the existing medical facilities.  There was a need to study these medical facilities for their upgradation and enhancing capacities and capabilities to handle emergencies and provide appropriate trauma care towards saving lives and injuries.  He also highlighted the Government of India’s recent efforts to promote the spirit of Good Samaritans through suitable incentive schemes and awards. He welcomed the distinguished Speakers, Panelists and attendees.  The following Speakers and Panelists joined the Webinar and shared their thoughts and observations which are available on IRF-IC’s website www.deeppink-spider-459065.hostingersite.com 1. Prof. (Dr.) Amit Gupta, Apex Trauma Center, AIIMS (Topic: Strengthening Post Crash Care by Capacity Assessment of Health Care Facilities along the Existing and Proposed Expressways) 2. Dr. Kanwar Sen, Principal Consultant CGHS, Ministry of Health, GoI 3. Prof. (Dr.) Subodh Kumar, JPN Apex Trauma Center, AIIMS (Topic: Infrastructure v/s Manpower Mismatch in Existing Trauma Care Systems: Challenges and the Way Forward) 4. Prof. (Dr.) Sunil Kumar, DG (Health Services), MH&FW, GoI (Topic: Capacity Building of First Responders along National Highways & Expressways: Bystander and Paramedic Training) Summing up the insights gained from the Presentations, the Panelists – Dr. Arun Mohan (presentation), Dr. Subroto Das, Dr. Maneesh Singhal shared their thoughts and suggestions. An announcement was also made about the forthcoming 12th Webinar on the theme “Sustainable Development with Road Safety”, scheduled to be held on 15th December 2021. Recording of 11th Webinar on the subject "Strengthening Emergency Care System along the National Highways / Expressways – A National Priority"

IRF India Chapter organized the 10th Webinar in the series, titled “Enforcement Innovations for Road Safety” on20th October 2021 from 16:30 – 18:45 Hrs. At the outset, Mr. Satish Parakh, President,IRF-IC welcomed the participants at the Webinar. He informed that IRF-IC is working relentlessly on all the 5E’s of Road safety in association with both the Government agencies and the Corporate sector. To bring down accidents and fatalities to 50% by 2030, IRF set out Action Plan for Road Safety through 12 Webinar series and 7 State Demonstration Corridor Programme. He set the context of the webinar and briefed the participants about the forthcoming Webinars. Prof. P.K. Sikdar informed that Mr. K.K. Kapila, President Emeritus, IRF, is indisposed and on his behalf, he welcomed and introduced the Moderator of the Webinar, Dr. Rohit Baluja, President, IRTE. He also welcomed all the distinguished speakers and attendees. Video messages of Mr. Jean Todt, United Nations Secretary General‘s Special Envoy for Road Safety and President, FIA, and Mr. Bill Halkias, President, IRF Geneva were shown and IRF-IC Road Safety Anthem was also played to convey the spirit of Road safety. Dr. Rohit Baluja, President, IRTE, and Director, College of Traffic Management shared his insights on road safety. He welcomed and introduced the four distinguished Speakers to the Webinar. 1. Mr. Arun Bothra, IPS, Commissioner Transport, Government of Odisha (Topic: Adoption of Smart Technologies for Successful Enforcement) 2. Mr. Krishna Prasad T., IPS (R), DGP & Chairman Road Safety Authority, Telangana (Topic: Enforcement Laws & Policies aiming for Road Safety) 3. Mr. Amit Thatte, Founder & CEO, Kataline Infraproducts Pvt. Ltd.(Topic: Traffic Enforcement through Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) 4. Mr. Dhaval Desai, Managing Director, Trafitek Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (Topic: Traffic Enforcement through Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) Summing up the insights gained from the Presentations, Dr. Rohit Baluja conducted the Question & Answer session. An announcement was also made about the forthcoming 11th Webinar on the theme “Strengthening Emergency Care System along the National Highways / Expressways – A National Priority”, scheduled to be held on 17th November 2021. Recording of 10th Webinar on the subject “Enforcement Innovations for Road Safety"

IRF India Chapter organized the 9th Webinar in the series, titled “Education and Campaign for Promoting Road Safety” on 22nd September 2021 from 16:30 – 18:45 Hrs. At the outset, Dr. S. Gangopadhyay, Past President, IRF-IC welcomed the participants at the Webinar. He set the context of the webinar and also briefed the participants about the forthcoming Webinars. Dr. S. Gangopadhyay welcomed and invited Prof. P.K. Sikdar, Advisor, IRF India to introduce the Webinar. Prof. Sikdar informed that due to some pressing emergency, the President Emeritus, Mr. K.K. Kapila had not joined the session. He went on to welcome and introduce the Moderator of the Webinar, Dr. Arun Mohan, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India, and Invited him to moderate the Session. Videos Messages of Mr. Jean Todt, United Nation Secretary General‘s Special Envoy for Road Safety and President, FIA, and Mr. Bill Halkias, President, IRF Geneva were relayed. IRF’s Road Safety Anthem was also played. Dr. Arun Mohan shared his insights on road safety with the participants and welcomed and introduced the Speakers. Besides Prof. Prajapati Trivedi, Distinguished Professor, Management Development Institute, who was the Guest Speaker at the Webinar, the Webinar had four distinguished Speakers. Prof. Trivedi shared his thoughts on the theme of the Webinar. 1. Ms. Meenakshi Sahni, Principal, Modern School (Topic: Road Safety Education for Children as Part of School Curriculum) 2. Ms. Parul Kumar, Founder & Vice President, Prabhaav Foundation (Topic: Road Safety Awareness Campaign for Young Adults & Communities) 3. Mr. Arun Lakshman, Consultant, SwarnLataMotherson Trust (Topic: Road Safety Education as Part of Driver Licensing & for Policy Planners – Administrators of Road Safety) 4. Prof. P.K. Sikdar, Advisor, IRF India (Topic: Education & Campaign as Built-in Requirements of Road Development Projects – Greenfield & Upgradation) Summing up the insights gained from the Presentations, Dr. ArunMohan conducted the Question & Answer session. An announcement was also made about the forthcoming 10th Webinar on the topic of “Enforcement Innovations for Road Safety’’, scheduled to be held on 20th October 2021. Recording of 9th Webinar on the subject "Education & Campaign for Promoting Road Safety"

IRF India Chapter organised the 8th Webinar in the series, titled “Vehicle Technologies for Road Safety” on 27th August 2021 from 16:30 – 18:45 Hrs. At the outset, Dr. S. Gangopadhyay, President, IRF-IC welcomed the participants at the Webinar. He set the context of the webinar and also briefed the participants about the forthcoming Webinars. Dr. S. Gangopadhyay thereafter welcomed and introduced the Moderator of the Webinar, Mr. Anil Kumar Chigulapalli, Sr. General Manager, TATA Motors and Co-Chair of SIAM, and Invited him to moderate the Webinar. He further informed that due to some pressing emergency, the Guest Speaker of the Webinar, Mr. Amit Mehta, Joint Secretary, Department of Heavy Industries, Ministry of Heavy Industries would not be able to participate. Apart from the Guest Speaker, the Webinar had three distinguished Speakers. Videos conveying the messages of Mr. Jean Todt, United Nations Secretary General‘s Special Envoy for Road Safety and President, FIA, and Mr. Bill Halkias, President, IRF Geneva were played. The newly developed Road Safety Anthem was also played. Mr. Anil Kumar Chigulapalli shared his insights on road safety with the participants and welcomed and introduced the Speakers. 1. Dr.Reji Mathai, Director, ARAI (Topic: Advancements in Vehicle Technologies and Safety Regulations in India) 2. Mr. Gaurav Gandhi, General Manager CSR, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (Topic: Comprehensive view on Vehicular Safety) 3.Mr. Graham Williams, Managing Director, GB MOT Training Ltd. (Topic: Inspection and Certification to ensure Road Worthiness of In-use Vehicles) Summing up the insights gained from the three Presentations, Mr. Anil Kumar Chigulapalli conducted the Question & Answer session. An announcement was also made about the forthcoming 9th Webinar, which is proposed to be held on 22nd September 2021. Recording of 8th Webinar on the subject "Vehicle Technologies for Road Safety"

IRF India Chapter organised the 7th Webinar in the series, titled “Intelligent Transport System (ITS) for Road Safety” on 28th July 2021 from 16:30 – 18:45 Hrs. At the outset, Dr. S. Gangopadhyay, President, IRF-IC welcomed the participants at the Webinar. He set the context of the webinar and also briefed the participants about the forthcoming Webinars. Since, Mr. K.K. Kapila, President (Emeritus), IRF Geneva was unwell and unable to attend the webinar, Mr. Somenath Ghosh, Consultant, ICT read out Mr. Kapila’s Keynote Address. Videos conveying the messages of Mr. Jean Todt, United Nations Secretary General‘s Special Envoy for Road Safety and President, FIA, and Mr. Bill Halkias, President, IRF Geneva were played. The newly developed Road Safety Anthem was also played. Dr.S. Gangopadhyay thereafter welcomed and introduced the Moderator of the Webinar, Mr. Balraj Bhanot, Former Director ARAI & Chairman CMVR-TSC, and Invited him to moderate the Webinar. Mr. Balraj Bhanot shared his insights on road safety with the participants and welcomed and introduced the Speakers. In addition to Mr.Sudhendu Jyoti Sinha, Advisor, NITI Aayog, who was the Guest Speaker at the Webinar, the Webinar had five distinguished Speakers. 1. Mr.Alok Sethi, General Manager, DIMTS (Topic: Smart& Enabling ITS Technologies for Road Safety) 2. Dr.Madhusudan Joshi, Head – Electronics Division, ICAT (Topic: Smart& Enabling ITS Technologies for Road Safety) 3.Mr.Chaitanya Y. Bhatt, CEO, Surat Smart City Ltd. (Topic: ITS Applications in Smart Cities) 4. Dr.P.K. Sarkar, Former Professor, SPA (Topic: Application of ITS Technologies for Safety of Vulnerable Road Users) 5. Mr.Prakash Rosayyan, Joint Director, CDAC (Topic: Indigenously Developed ITMS Components and the Use Cases) Summing up the insights gained from the five Presentations, Mr. Balraj Bhanot conducted the Question & Answer session. An announcement was also made about the forthcoming 8th Webinar, which is proposed to be held on 27th August 2021. Recording of Seventh Webinar held on subject "Intelligent Transport System (ITS) for Road Safety"

IRF India Chapter organised the 6th Webinar in the series titled “Accident / Crash Data Collection & Management” on 30thJune 2021 from 16:30 – 18:45 Hrs. At the outset,Mr. K.K. Kapila, President (Emeritus), IRF Geneva welcomed the participants at the Webinar. He set the context of the webinar and also briefed the participants about the forthcoming Webinars. Delivering his Keynote Address, Mr. Kapila introduced the Webinar. He also briefed the participants about the road safety initiatives of IRF-IC, details of which have been uploaded on the IRF-IC website. He invited participants and Corporates to generously contribute towards this road safety initiative. Videos conveying the messages of Mr. Jean Todt, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety and President, FIA and Mr. Bill Halkias, President, IRF Geneva were played. The newly developed Road Safety Anthem was also played. Mr. Kapila thereafter welcomed and introduced the Moderator of the Webinar, Mr. PiyushTewari, Founder & CEO, SaveLIFE Foundation, and Invited him to moderate the Webinar. Mr. PiyushTewari shared his insights on road safety with the participants and welcomed and introduced the Speakers. In addition to Dr.Arun Mohan, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India (view presentation here), who was the Guest Speaker at the Webinar, the Webinar had three distinguished Speakers. 1. Dr.Rohit Baluja, President, Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) (Topic: Crash Investigation and Reconstruction) 2. Prof. P.K. Sikdar, President, ICT Pvt. Ltd. (Topic : Modern Method of Accident Data Collection & Management) 3.Mr.Ravishankar Rajaraman, Technical Director, JP Research India Pvt. Ltd. (Topic: Accident/Crash Data and Casual Approach) Summing up the insights gained from the three Presentations, Mr. PiyushTewari conducted the Question & Answer session. Recording of Sixth Webinar held on subject "Accident / Crash Data Collection & Management"

IRF India Chapter organised the 5th Webinar in the series. The Webinar titled “Engineering Measures & Funding for Road Safety” was held on 1st June 2021 from 16:30 – 18:45 Hrs. At the outset,Dr. S. Gangopadhyay, Chairman, IRF-IC welcomed the participants at the Webinar. He set the context of the webinar and also briefed the participants about the forthcoming Webinars. Mr. K.K. Kapila, President (Emeritus), IRF Geneva gave the Keynote Address and introduced the Webinar. He also briefed the participants about the road safety initiatives of IRF-IC, details of which have been uploaded on IRF-IC website. He invited participants and Corporates to generously contribute towards this road safety initiative. The Webinar was moderated by Mr. Bill Halkias, President, IRF Geneva and had four eminent Speakers. Video conveying the message of Mr. Jean Todt, United Nations Secretary General‘s Special Envoy for Road Safety and President, FIA. Dr. S. Gangopadhyay spoke a few words about Mr. Jean Todt. He thereafter welcomed and introduced the Moderator of the Webinar, Mr. Bill Halkias, President, IRF Geneva. Mr. Bill Halkias shared his insights on road safety to the participants and welcomed and introduced the Speakers. 1. Mr.Rob Mclnerney, CEO, iRAP (Topic : Adopting iRAP Star Rating for Global Targets) 2. Mr.Konstatinos Papandreou, CEO & M.D., Olympia Odos Operations SA (Topic : Management of Safety in Construction & Maintenance Works) 3.Mr.Shailesh Pathak, Head-Special Initiative Development Projects, L&T Ltd. (Topic : Financing Options for Consistent and Continued Interventions) 4. Dr. H.K. Reddy, CEO, Cube Highways and Transportation Assets Advisors (P) Ltd. (Topic :Mechanisms for Ensuring Safety in Toll Roads) Recording of Fifth Webinar held on subject "Engineering Measures & Funding for Road Safety" Questions & Answers Speaker : Mr. Kostas Papandreou Topic : Management of Safety in Construction & Maintenance Works Speaker : Dr. H.K. Reddy Topic :Mechanisms for Ensuring Safety in Toll Roads Speaker : Mr.Rob Mclnerney Topic: Adopting iRAP Star Rating for Global Targets Speaker: Mr.Shailesh Pathak Topic: Financing Options for Consistent and Continued Interventions

IRF India Chapter organised the 4th Webinar titled “Road Safety Management and Action Plan” on 18th May 2021 from 16:30 – 19:00 Hrs. At the outset, Mr. K.K. Kapila,  President (Emeritus), IRF Geneva introduced the Webinar.  The Webinar was moderated by Dr. Shomik Raj Mehndiratta, Practice Manager, Transport – South Asia, The World Bank and had four eminent Speakers as follows:- The Guest Speaker at the Webinar was Mr. R.K. Pandey, Member (Projects), National Highways Authority of India. Welcoming and introducing the guest speaker at the Webinar, Dr. S. Gangopadhyay, Chairman, IRF India Chapter made his Introductory remarks. 1. Mr.Kailash C. Tiwari, Consultant, Australia (Topic : Safe System Approach and Global Performance Targets) 2. Mr. Krishnan Srinivasan, Sr. Road Safety Consultant, The World Bank (Topic: Development of Capacity for Road Safety Management) 3. Dr. S.M. Sarin, Former Scientist-G, CRRI (Topic : Traffic Calming Measures for Enhancing Safety) 4. Mr. Tony Mathew, Principal Transport Specialist, TRL and Dr. John Fletcher, Principal Consultant, TRL, UK (Topic: Systematic Approach for Maximising Road Safety Benefits) Recording of Fourth Webinar held on subject “Road Safety Management and Action Plan”

The IRF-IC 3rd Webinar on “Safer Roads for Safety of All Road Users” was held on 6th April 2021 from 16:30 Hrs. – 18:30 Hrs. (IST). At the outset, Mr. K.K. Kapila,  President (Emeritus), IRF Geneva introduced the Webinar and the Chief Guest, Mr. N.N. Sinha, Secretary, Rural Department, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Mr. N.N. Sinha addressed the gathering  The Webinar was moderated by Ms. Susanna Zammataro, DG, IRF Geneva and had four eminent Speakers as follows:- 1. Ms. Vassiliki Danelli-Mylona, Director, RSI “Panos Mylonas” (Topic : Measures for Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) including School Zone Safety) 2. Prof. Geetam Tiwari  , Professor, IIT Delhi (Topic : Accident Blackspot** : Identification & Mitigation – Method & Countermeasures) 3. Mr. Greg Smith,  Global Programme Director, iRAP (Topic  : Development of Standards for Safe & Forgiving Roads, including Hill Roads) 4. Dr. I.K. Pateriya,  Director, NRIDA (Topic  : Special Requirements for Road Safety in Rural (Village) Roads) Recording of third Webinar held on "Safer Roads for Safety of All Road Users"

IRF India Chapter organised the 2ndWebinar titled "Road Safety Engineering for Improved Safety" on 12th March 2021 from 16:30 – 19:00 Hrs. The Chief Guest at the Webinar was Mr. I.K. Pandey, Director General (Road Development) and Special Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. Welcoming and introducing the Chief Guest at the Webinar, Mr. K.K. Kapila, President (Emeritus), IRF Geneva made his Introductory remarks. Prof. P.K. Sikdar was the Moderator of the webinar, which featured three eminent Speakers as follows:- 1. Prof. Satish Chandra, Director, CSIR-CRRI (Topic : Understanding Traffic Flow for Managing Road Safety) 2. Prof. G.J. Joshi, Professor, Transportation Engineering & Planning, Civil Engineering Department, SVNIT Surat (Topic : Intersection Design & Operation for Road Safety) 3. Dr. Ammu Gopalakrishnan, Transportation Safety Division, 3M India Ltd. (Topic : Design & Provision of Signs and Markings for Road Safety)

The first Webinar of the Webinar Series, which was flagged off on 9th February 2021 was organised to commence during the Annual Road Safety Month 2021 and most appropriately was graced by the Hon’ble Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and MSME, Mr. Nitin Gadkari as the Chief Guest. At the outset, Dr. S. Gangopadhyay, Chairman, IRF-IC introduced the Webinar Series and Welcomed the Chief Guest. The Hon’ble Minister inaugurated the Webinar series as also the first Webinar on “Road Safety Engineering & Challenges” on 9th February 2021. Mr. K.K. Kapila, President (Emeritus), IRF Geneva gave the Keynote Address. The Technical Sessions on the following subjects were moderated by Dr. S. Gangopadhyay, Chairman, IRF-IC. Prof. P.K. Sikdar, President, ICT Pvt. Ltd. (Topic : Road Safety Scenario & Challenges in India) Dr. K. Ravinder, Sr. Principal Scientist & Head of Transportation Planning & Environment Division, CSIR-CRRI (Topic : Road Safety Audit & Inspection – A Pro-Active Measure) Dr. Sewa Ram, Professor & Head – Transport Planning, SPA (Topic : Planning & Design of Safe and Forgiving Roads) Recording of First Webinar held on “Road Safety Engineering & Challenges”

During the Road Safety Week 2019, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRT&H), sanctioned to International Road Federation - India Chapter (IRF IC), First Responder eFD Training on NH-24 Delhi-Meerut Stretch project. The project was carried out in two stages: (a) Pre-survey for meeting with District officials and Heads of Institutions, identifying training locations and enrolling participants and (b) Training of the identified participants. The training was conducted from 22nd January 2020 to 13th February 2020 at 7 locations; Duhai, Rajnagar Extn., Morta, Muradnagar, Mohiuddinpur, Bhadbhuaral, Subharti College, Bypass Road Meerut and Surajmal College, Sakhoti Tiraha Bypass. The resulting training of 330 trainees as against the targeted 245 trainees under the project has resulted in incremental safety on the National Highway 24 Delhi-Meerut Highway stretch through creating a pool of 330 trained First Responders.

To showcase innovation and provide a platform to share the future of the mobility landscape, NITI Aayog hosted the first MOVE Summit 2018 in New Delhi on 7th & 8th September 2018. The initiative aimed at creating a public interest framework to revolutionize transport, in partnership with stakeholders from across the mobility and transportation sectors. As a part of this initiative, International Road Federation in association with the PHD Chambers of Commerce & Industry, and with the support of NITI Aayog, organized a Curtain Raiser to MOVE Summit 2018, themed “Fast Tracking Road Safety”, highlighting the complementary role of Road Safety to the Summit’s interconnected objectives of access for all, efficiency, safety and green mobility. “Fast Tracking Road Safety” is an IRF IC programme series to consistently bring to the fore, the efforts required under the 4E pillar strategy of the United Nations, developed in 2010 after the adoption of Resolution Res/64/255. The strategy focuses on improving global road safety through taking suitable action/initiatives under the 4Es (Engineering, Education, Emergency Care and Enforcement).  The aspect of Environment is also being focused on, as the 5th E. The UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, to which India is also committed, envisages 50% reduction in road traffic fatalities by 2020.  A number of countries including India are signatory to this. The Curtain Raiser focused on the facets that would enable an improved road safety scenario to take it closer to the UN Decadal goals. IRF has been undertaking initiatives under the 4Es – Engineering (roads and vehicular), Education (bring about attitudinal change in the school children through consistent road safety education; education of masses through mass media campaigns – screening of short films in cinemas, etc.), Emergency Care towards strengthening trauma management during pre-hospital care, Enforcement for better traffic and road user management. The Featured Event on Road Safety covered on 3 aspects, through Panel discussions on: Safe Roads, Safe Vehicles, Safe RidingEducation, Advocacy, Behaviour and EnforcementTrauma Care during the Golden Hour Panel discussion 1 focused on road infrastructure and safety features of vehicles, external modifications of vehicles, annual inspections, etc. Panel discussion 2 examined how road safety education at school levels influences the attitudes towards road safety, advocacy to influence peer groups, road user behaviour in a given circumstance and enforcement to contain traffic offences and violations. Panel discussion 3 discussed ways and means to create capacities of trained first responders, thereby saving precious lives. The Recommendations arising out of these panel discussions were collated in the Concluding Session, and are being appropriately taken forward for implementation.

The IRF India Chapter organized a Seminar on the theme of “Environmental Protection and Safety during Construction” at the India International Centre, New Delhi on 13th – 14th July 2018. The Seminar was a part of IRF’s relentless mission aimed at reducing the number of road fatalities and injuries caused by accidents in the country, a substantial part of which occurs, among others, during the construction of roads and highways. Warmly welcoming the participants to the Seminar, Mr. G. Sharan, Chairman, IRF IC elaborated on the long and distinguished record of various activities of IRF IC and the incremental knowledge that would emerge from the deliberations of the Seminar. The Seminar, inaugurated by the Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRT&H), deliberated on different topics such as Design for Safety, Environmental Protection of Construction Projects, Technology, Safety during Construction and Safety Issues and Risks. Mr. K.K. Kapila, Chairman, IRF, delivered the Keynote address elaborating on the five E’s of Road safety, which is the key to improvement in the road safety scenario in the country. Professionals from Government, Industry and the Multilateral Institutions well versed with the road sector and related aspects addressed the sessions and elaborated on the sub-themes related to the seminar theme, making for an in-depth analysis of the various issues involved. The Seminar was well attended by delegates and invitees representing all major stakeholders of the road sector; Ministry of Road Transport, National Highways Authority of India, State Departments and Institutions, road sector consultants, suppliers, manufacturers, contractors and concessionaires, ITS companies, environment experts etc. The diverse participation of experts and their intellectual exchanges during the various Technical sessions have been captured in the Recommendations of the Seminar and sent to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways for their consideration and appropriate policy formulation. IRF has been undertaking initiatives under the 4Es – Engineering (roads and vehicular), Education (bring about attitudinal change in the school children through consistent road safety education; education of masses through mass media campaigns – screening of short films in cinemas, etc.), Emergency Care towards strengthening trauma management during pre-hospital care, Enforcement for better traffic and road user management. The Featured Event on Road Safety covered on 3 aspects, through Panel discussions on: Safe Roads, Safe Vehicles, Safe RidingEducation, Advocacy, Behaviour and EnforcementTrauma Care during the Golden Hour Panel discussion 1 focused on road infrastructure and safety features of vehicles, external modifications of vehicles, annual inspections, etc. Panel discussion 2 examined how road safety education at school levels influences the attitudes towards road safety, advocacy to influence peer groups, road user behaviour in a given circumstance and enforcement to contain traffic offences and violations. Panel discussion 3 discussed ways and means to create capacities of trained first responders, thereby saving precious lives. The Recommendations arising out of these panel discussions were collated in the Concluding Session, and are being appropriately taken forward for implementation.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate the four-day global road meet to be organised by the Geneva-based International Road Federation (IRF) , which is working for better and safer roads worldwide. The theme of the WRM 2017 is 'Safer Roads–Smart Mobility -- the engines of growth'. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, (MoRTH) Government of India has extended its support to WRM 2017. The ministry stands committed to reduce road deaths by 50 per cent in the country by 2020 as "India is a signatory to the UN decade of action for road safety”, K K Kapila, Chairman, International Road Federation (IRF), said. The major highlight of WRM 2017 will be an exhibition showcasing state-of-the-art technologies on road safety and traffic regulations, including control systems, communication and navigation devices, driver training systems and others, Kapila said. 

International Road Federation, India Chapter (IRF-IC), in association with Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRT&H) and a few other stakeholders have undertaken a number of initiatives, built around the 5 pillar strategy of the UN, formulated to achieve the target set under the UN Decade of Action, resolving to reduce the road related fatalities by 50% by 2020. Incremental improvements have been reported from the data collected by reliable agencies, however, the need of the hour is to prioritise the road safety programmes, implement it countrywide and monitor it for tangible outcomes. IRF India Chapter is going to organize a 2-day Seminar during the 27th Road Safety Week. The event, being organized in association with MoRT&H, on January 14-15, 2016 at the Multipurpose Hall, India International Centre, New Delhi, will have the theme of “Road Safety – Time for Action’’ The Seminar would focus on the following subjects : Safer Roads – Removal of Black SpotsMotor Vehicle Act and EnforcementRole of ITS in Road SafetyVehicular SafetyLicensing RegimeRoad Safety EducationTrauma Care

In April 2014, the U.N. General Assembly has expressed its concern that the number of road traffic deaths still remains unacceptably high, with an estimated 1.24 million lives lost in 2010. Only 7% of the world’s population is covered by adequate laws that address all behavioral risk factors, including the non-use of helmets, safety belts and child restraints, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, inappropriate and excessive speed and the inappropriate use of cellular telephones, including texting while driving. Half of all road traffic deaths worldwide involve pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists and some developing countries have inadequate infrastructure and insufficient policies in place to protect these vulnerable road users. The 9th IRF Regional Conference on “Road Safety Initiatives: status and the way forward”, to be held in Delhi on 5 - 6 October 2015, will address these concerns by reviewing the initiatives carried out for Road Safety in India and in the entire region. At its 9th edition this year, the conference will explore in depth the necessary actions needed in the second half of the Decade of Action. Benefits to participants: The delegates will get ample opportunities for one-to-one interaction with experts, other participants as well as exhibitors, besides renewing contacts and networking, and for seeking solutions to their specific problems.

The Conference on the theme of Status of Road Safety and Safe Mobility Initiatives in India, being held on 15-16 January 2015, is a culmination of the Road Safety Week 2015, which is observed annually by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways all over the country. It will take stock of the status of road safety and safe mobility initiatives in the country over the past few years. This exercise acquires greater urgency in view of the framework and the schedule laid down by the 'UN Decade of Action for Road Safety' for halving the number of road accidents, fatalities and injuries in the world by the year 2020. The Decade of Action has been accepted by the Government of India. The growth and vibrancy of India's infrastructure programme is what inures India from global recessionary trends as was witnessed in the recent past. With a planned US$ 1 trillion equivalent investment in infrastructure in the 12th Five Year Plan, of which 35% was for the transport and road sector alone, the build-up of the sector has been impressive and is expected to further accelerate in the years ahead. Road Safety and related policies have also been changing in a major way and one would shortly see major changes through the Amendments of the Motor Vehicles Act through the Road Transport & Safety Bill 2014. The growing road sector demand, the large and diverse road network across the country, both rural and urban, and the fast growth of vehicle ownership fuelled by economic growth has implications for road safety outcomes. Although the statistics generate a sense of optimism in view of the fact that vehicle-kilometer of road travel is increasing with expansion of the network of higher category of roads, which allow travel at higher speeds, these surely hide the glaring problem of road safety, and we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. The number of road fatalities in 2013 still hovered around 1.4 lakh, making India's record indeed dismal, although in effective terms there has been some improvement. We are half way through the UN Decade of Action but still have a long way to go. This calls for a very systematic Mission to be taken up for making a difference and to achieve the target. It is time to take stock of our achievements and success, and the present Conference will deliberate on different topics related to the Status of Road Safety and Safe Mobility in the country and examine and make recommendations for The Way Forward. The Conference sub-themes would address the following issues:- • Legal Initiatives for Road Safety• Road Safety – Engineering Measures• Education and Awareness• In-vehicle Safety and Trauma Care• Australian Road Safety Expertise Session - A dedicated session to be organized by Members of the Australian Trade Delegation, inter alia covering research, audit, capacity building and management. The Conference would have a wide cross section of delegates representing all major stakeholders of the Road sector: Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, National Highways Authority of India, State Departments of Transport, State Public Works Departments, State Road Corporations, Civil Engineering Contractors, Consultants, Suppliers, Municipalities, Road Agencies/Authorities, Procurement Managers, Road and Bridge Builders and Maintenance Personnel, Road Building and Road Maintenance Companies, Road Safety Suppliers and Specialists, ITS and Communications Companies, Road Lighting and Signage Companies and Environment Experts etc. The diverse participation of so many experts, so intimately connected with road safety issues, would provide excellent business and networking opportunities with a platform to deliberate on state-of-the-art practices on various aspects of road safety.

The Seminar on “Road Safety During Dark Hours” was inaugurated by Shri Vijay Chhibber,Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), addressed by Shri Sanjay Bandopadhyaya, Jt. Secretary, MoRTH and Shri K. K. Kapila, Chairman, IRF Geneva Programme Centre.

The SARF/IRF Regional Conference for Africa has established itself as the flagship event for road infrastructure. It provides a balanced mix of speakers from both the private and public sectors stimulating challenging debates on the roles and performances of the respective sectors. In the next five years both National and Provincial governments will be investing heavily in upgrading and building new roads, bridges and traffic management systems providing major opportunities for growth across all sectors. Whilst the government’s initiatives are focussed largely on road infrastructure, it will have significant ripple effects on other sectors of the transport industry as demand for higher standards and lower costs intensify driving more innovative ways for financing infrastructure development. CONFERENCE THEME: BETTER ROADS – Moving Africa - A multi-disciplinary approach to improve capacity and safety for road transport in Africa Suggested papers may address issues relating to but not limited to: -Funding for Roads – road financing, maintenance backlogs PPPs -road tolling, social impacts-Safer Roads and Mobility-ITS,work zone safety Incident Management Systems-Environmental Management for Roads - Governance, Risk and Compliance-Implementation of Road Infrastructure Projects-Managing Road Freight and Logistics for Development-Asset Management TARGET AUDIENCES -Departments of Transport, Municipalities, Road Agencies/Authorities; planners, administrators and managers-Civil Engineering Contractors, Consultants and Suppliers-Road and Bridge Builders and Maintenance Personnel-Procurement Managers-Road Building and Road Maintenance Companies-Traffic Planning and Management Systems-ITS and Communications Companies-Road Safety Suppliers and Specialists-Environmentalists-Road Lighting and Signage Companies

In the deliberation during the seminar on “Role of Insurance in Road Safety’’held on 12th July, 2014, it was brought out by the Insurance Companies that the quantum of third party insurance amounts fixed by IRDAare very low, as compared to the claims perceived and needs upward revision on priority.

Mr. K.K. Kapila, Chairman, IRF GPC, introducing the topic of the Seminar gave a brief scenario of road accidents in the World, and in particular India. Nearly 1.2 million people die every year and 20 to 50 million are injured globally in road accidents. The economic loss of these injuries and fatalities accounts for over USD 1.2 trillion.

Intertraffic India 2013, an International Exhibition, to be held at India Expo Centre, Greater Noida from 3rd to 5th October 2013 is jointly organized by Amsterdam RAI and IRF India Chapter. The three day event will showcase products and services pertaining to (i) Infrastructure Management (ii) ITS Technology (iii) Traffic Management (iv) Parking Systems (v) Road Safety and (vi) other allied subjects.The 8th IRF Regional Conference on Road Infrastructure for Safe Mobility will be held alongside the Intertraffic India 2013. Excellent business & networking opportunity The Indian economy has been one of the fastest growing economies. The infrastructure sector continues to enjoy the favour of the government since the liberalization of the economy two decades back. 12th Plan has proposed an investment of US$ one trillion equivalent, and road development is recognized as an essential component to sustain India’s economic growth trajectory. This consequently promises huge road transport and traffic demand scenarios. Combination with the IRF Regional Conference and the involvement of local, regional and national road authorities and other stakeholders makes Intertraffic India 2013 an outstanding business opportunity for latest technologies available around the world. Smart infrastructure for development The Intertraffic India 2013 exhibition will give an opportunity to experience the best technologies that are working in India and elsewhere in the world to provide best safety and efficiency through state-of-the-art products and solutions for traffic management, parking control, ITS, toll management, human and vehicle safety, road furniture, and environment. Fast growth in the economy, has led to huge demand for parking in the major cities in India, as the concentration of 2 and 4 wheeled vehicles is in large and second order cities. Innovative parking technology and design options only can save the cities from becoming a surface parking lot. Thus, advanced technology and other innovative specific parking solutions shall have to be adopted, like computerised and automated parking lots for transport terminals, airports, railway stations, and for shopping malls / markets, multiplexes, multi-storied housing and office complexes, educational institutes, bus terminals, etc. Why exhibit at Intertraffic India? Intertraffic India 2013 will be a prominent platform for both Indian and international suppliers. You can introduce your latest products and services and meet with potential and existing customers. It’s a great opportunity to stay abreast of market demands and network with other players in the industry. The Indian business culture generally requires face-to-face business conduct. Moreover, the strong loyalty tendency will benefit companies that build brand awareness the earliest. Here are some other key reasons to exhibit: • Tremendous growth of economy and population• Biggest Pan Indian network platform for traffic professionals• Stricter implementation of enforcement for traffic safety and management• Increased demands for mobility infrastructure enhancement• Ambition for state of the art approach of mobility measures• Major airport developments under implementation• Focus on smart and sustainable mobility solutions• Fast growing demand for traffic management, traffic safety and technology to comply with international standards;• Excellent opportunity to find manufacturers in search of distributors and vice versa Exhibitor profile The exhibition will showcase the products and services of manufacturers, suppliers, planners and consultancy firms dealing in amongst others the following areas:-ITS Technology and Traffic Management-Communication-Telematics-ITS Technology-Smart Card Technology-Warning Systems-Fare and toll Systems-Emergency Systems-Passenger Information System-Area Traffic Control-Urban Planning-Safety-Traffic Signs-Traffic Lights-Crash Cushions-Barrier Systems-Cones-Speed Humps-Safety Clothing-Emergency Equipment-Infrastructure-Public Lighting-Road Construction, Maintenance-Rail Technology-Tunnel Technology-Road Equipment-Road Markings-Street Furniture-Reflective Materials-Parking-Parking Systems-Parking Garages-Ticketing-Barriers-Entrance Control Systems-Visual Systems-Environment-Environment Pollution Measurement Equipment-Environment Sensors Control Devices Come into contact with key buyers! Decision makers and senior advisors from private ventures, contractors, local, national and international authorities are invited to attend the show, such as:• National, Regional and Local Government• Police• National highways and Airport Authorities• Municipal Corporations• Infrastructure Construction and Contracting Companies and Concessionaires• Consultancy Firms• System Integrators• Manufacturers• Builders and Developers• Dealers and Agents• Fleet Operators Intertraffic, a global brand with global reach Intertraffic is recognised worldwide as the number one trade fair formula in the infrastructure, ITS, traffic management, safety and parking sectors. Since its launch in 1972, Intertraffic Amsterdam has become the meeting place of choice for professionals from around the world. Its success has led to spin-off regional exhibitions in a.o. Turkey, China and India. Each event in the Intertraffic portfolio offers a comprehensive overview of international and local products, services and solutions, and a powerful impulse for knowledge transfer. The Intertraffic name is synonymous with top quality events.

The 8th Conference in the IRF Regional Conference Series aims to address the critical issue of the requirements of safer roads through the theme of "Road Infrastructure for Safe Mobility.'

The latest in the highly successful series of Regional Conferences on Road Safety organised by IRF's India Chapter was held at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi on 1-2 November. Following previous gatherings devoted to Design, Construction & Operation of Roads, Mobility & Safety in Road Transport, Accident Prevention, Institutional Arrangements for the Reduction of Road Fatalities and a Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan for India, this year's event provided a high-level, international platform for addressing a comprehensive range of issues relating to Road Safety on Urban and Rural Roads. Supported by:

The 6th Conference in the IRF Regional Conference Series aims to address the critical issue of the requirements of safer roads through the theme of "Road Safety Strategy in India - Action Plan".

Intertraffic will make its debut in India with the Intertraffic India exhibition to be held in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 3rd to 5th October 2011. Jointly organized by Amsterdam RAI and the IRF, the three day event will showcase products and services pertaining to infrastructure, ITS traffic management, parking, road safety and allied subjects. The 6th IRF Regional Conference on Road Safety will be held alongside Intertraffic India.

IRF India Chapter in association with Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) had organized Certification Courses for Road Safety Auditors in 2011. These courses have been highly appreciated both in India and abroad.

An International policy on reduction of carbon emissions during road construction was launched in New Delhi by the International Road Federation. The IRF policy was released at simultaneous held events in Geneva, Washington DC, New Delhi, Africa, China, Australia and New Zealand. Mr Brahm Dutt former secretary ministry of roads and Highways while releasing the report in India said that “The road construction industry should develop innovative and eco friendly materials as well use recovered and recycled materials to further green the transport infrastructure and reduce the per capita carbon footprints in the country.” Mr Dutt said “Developing countries including India has to construct a huge network of roads in next 10 to 20 years coming years to reduce the travel time and distance for transporting people and products and other material from place to place. However, for each mile of these new but traditionally constructed roads,thousands of tons of materials such as aggregate stone,concrete,asphalt and steel are needed, let alone all of the diesel fuel required to power the construction equipment and to transport materials to and from the project site. This not only eats up precious natural resources but emit tones of pollution.” Mr Dutt said that “ There is great need develop green highways and roads with less damaging way by recovering and recycling existing in situ materials and utilising specially engineered binders to produce effective stabilised building materials that enable existing waste streams like fly ash in the road construction. Now is the time to embrace a new way to design, plan, build and maintain road infrastructure, consistent with green road building practices.” Mr KK Kapila chairman of International Road Federation speaking on the occasion “International Road Federation is taking action and leading the way to meet the calls for a greener transport system, the IRF Policy Statement on the Environment places in perspective the crucial contribution that need to be made to through safe and sustainable road infrastructure resolve to be at the vanguard of efforts to further improve the environmental performance of the road sector.” Mr Kapila added that “The major highlights of the IRF policy are Safeguard the environment to the maximum extent possible,Mitigate any adverse effects through pro-active consideration of environmental issues at every stage of planning and implementation,Manage and use resources efficiently, encourage and provide incentives for ongoing innovation, so as to continually promote better environmental performance. IRF believes, however, that,if widely adopted and wisely applied, these recommendations will prove that economic development and protection of the environment need not be irreconcilable goals; and that viable green road infrastructure is today a reality.” He said that “In keeping with IRF’s overall approach characterised by initiatives such as the CHANGER greenhouse gas calculator software the Policy Statement is intended as a catalyst to raise awareness, promote immediate practical action,demonstrate the inherent ‘triple bottom line’ benefits and most of all, inspire further innovation throughout the sector.”

IRF India chapter held its 5th Regional Conference on Road Safety from 25-26 November 2010 in New Delhi, India. Themed ‘Institutional Arrangements for Reduction of Road Fatalities’, the event attracted some 300 international participants.

The 16th IRF World Road Meeting will be held in Lisbon from 25 to 28 May 2010, and will be attended by major international players from the road sector. Roads and their users, the role of roads in trade and life, roads and their impact on society; these are issues needing answers, both now and in the future. The aim of the 16th IRF World Road Meeting is to provide a forum for debates, discussions and proposals leading to tomorrow’s solutions.

IRF India Chapter in Association with Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) has taken initiative for delivering Certification Courses for “Road Safety Auditors”. With the aim of building capacity for road safety audit works in the country (i.e. India) by creating trained experts for road safety audit works and to certify them for international level recognition, two courses were organized successfully back to back in first two weeks of February 2010. These training courses were organized in two consecutive weeks during 1st to 5th February and 8th to 12th February 2010. The training has been imparted by both ARRB and Indian experts. The training courses had special requirement for entry qualifications, and then 90% attendance and passing of an evaluation test of the auditing skills developed by the trainees. A Certificate has been issued to each trained auditor, who fulfilled all the special requirements, by the ARRB and IRF (India) jointly. These auditors will be carrying out the RSA in the country in coming time.The trainees were selected based on educational background, past training and the experience. Those who have a degree in Civil Engineering or post-graduate degree or diploma in Traffic Engineering/Highway Engineering/Transportation Engineering etc or at least 10 years of experience in related work were eligible for the certification course.The course material was designed jointly by ARRB and IRF (India), and the course was structured for appropriate development of RSA skills in the participants.The two courses are attended by a total of 50 participants (18 participants in the first course and 32 participants in the second). The faculty / experts were:Mr. Richard Jois, ARRBProf. P. K. Sikdar, IRF (India)Mr. R. K. Bajpai, ICT Pvt. Ltd.Mr. Jacob George, ICT Pvt. Ltd.Dr. Nishi Mittal, CRRIDr. S. Velmurugan, CRRIDr. K. Ravinder, CRRIThe courses had exclusive components of practical audit works in groups guided by mentors, which provided real world audit experience to the participants.Through strict attendance and evaluation test 47 paticipants have been certified as auditors, while 3 participants have received certificate of participation as they did not meet the qualification and experience criteria for selection to the Auditors’ Course, but wanted to attend anyway. The fee charged for the course was a subsidized amount of Indian Rupees 35,000 per candidate.The course was conducted with strict requirement of the attendance as 90% minimum and a pass in the final evaluation test. All the participants for the certification courses fulfilled the requirements at a level much above the requirements. The course material is given to the participants at the beginning of the course as a bound volume. In addition, they have been given a CD with complete set of course materials. Further, they have been given the Austroad RSA Checklists and the Checklist of Draft IRC Manual for Road Safety Audit. The courses have been supported by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Govt. of India, International Road Federation (India), and gTKP(Global Transport knowledge Partnership financially in addition to the course fee charged from the participants.

As you may perhaps be aware that over one lakh persons get killed evey year in our country in the road accidents causing loss of human lives as well as loss of property.This underlines the urgency of road safety measures.As a part of awareness campaign on road safety,"Road Safety Week" is observed throughout the country every year in the month of January in order to highlight and emphasize the need for safe roads by taking up activities to promote the concept. As in the past,it has been decided to observe the 21st Road Safety week from 1st to 7th January 2010.The theme of the Road Safety Week this time is "Life is Safe if driving is safe".

Fourth Regional Conference of International Road Federation, in India, was held at New Delhi on 23rd and 24th October 2009. It was organized by International Road Federation on "Accident Prevention: Road Safety Measures".

India's Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Mr. Kamal Nath on September 23, 2009 launched the National Campaign for "Reduction of Road Fatalities" a joint initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and International Roads Federation (IRF), a Washington and Geneva based worldwide organization for advocacy for development of safe roads with members from 90 countries across six continents, at jam packed centrally located Stein Auditorium of India Habitat Centre (IHC) in New Delhi. As per the National Programme a target of reducing road accident deaths by 50 percent by the year 2012 has been set by the Ministry. India accounts for 10 percent of global road accident deaths with about 125,000 fatalities and at least half-a-million serious injuries each year. The country is losing 3% of its GDP to road crashes every year. Minister Mr. Kamal Nath, while launching the national campaign stressed on the need of changing the outdated Motor Vehicle Act to address the specific concerns of road safety. He said that we should improve the engineering design of roads along with accelerated road building programme to the standards of safe and 'Forgiving Roads'. He complimented the partnership of NDTV in this National Campaign with their media role to reach out to the masses. Mr. Kamal Nath also said that this problem of road safety has not been addressed holistically till now, and therefore, the National Campaign is to aim for coordination at every step to realize the change in the mind set and attitude towards this problem. Mr K. K. Kapila, Vice chairman, IRF and main host of the event demanded that the Government should seek active participation of Corporate houses in building infrastructures having direct bearing on road safety, and the government should exempt tax on these expenditures incurred by the corporate houses in a given year."As per the National Campaign, training of drivers will take place on driving simulators by establishing driver training schools in small and big towns uniformly. Driver licensing system will be made stricter and only drivers with required driving skills would be given license. Those already holding licenses should also be trained, wherever necessary", Mr. Kapila elaborated. "The road users will be educated through traditional and modern media including showing of road safety films on the television, bringing out road safety messages in newspapers, road safety skits on radio network, printing road signs and safety messages on the inside front cover and inside back cover of school text books, for inculcating safety awareness and behaviour in our future road users", Mr. Kapila added. "The campaign will also work towards painting the Mudguard, in luminous orange colour, for all motorized two-wheelers through respective manufacturing industries, and similarly the entire cycle frame and mudguard of bicycles. This single action will immediately help in reduction of the road fatalities", he added. Earlier on the occasion, Professor P. K. Sikdar presented the need of the National Campaign with a grim picture of the country's road safety scenario with 363 road deaths per day. "54% of all road fatalities across the country are to the vulnerable road users, which is even 75-90% in cities. An attempt to address this problem with appropriate infrastructures will save a major share of the total yearly loss of Rs. 75,000 crores", he added. He also emphasized the need of a multi-prong approach with strong political leadership to tackle this man-made calamity with involvement of all stakeholders in an institutionalized system from conception to operation of the roads, with targeted road safety built in it. Dr. Prannoy Roy felt delighted to be the media partner with the Ministry and IRF for such a gigantic problem of the country which has not been addressed by the media adequately. "Although 13 people are getting killed every hour, it is one or two at a time and place making it less sensational, and therefore, media has failed to spread the message about the biggest killer in India," He retorted. He felt proud with NDTV's partnership in this National Campaign. Mr. Brahm Dutt, Secretary, MoRTH confessed that "The efforts made so far by the Ministry had very little impact as seen from the road safety scenario presented". Expressing happiness about the Launch of the National Campaign, Mr. Dutt hoped that IRF will steer the programme and garner the support from industries and NGOs; and he promised all necessary support and cooperation from the Ministry. Mr. Nirmaljit Singh, Director General & Special Secretary, MoRTH expressed satisfaction that IRC has been able to prepare the guidelines for 4 and 6 laning of highways. According to him, the roads are being built to the international standards with appropriate provisions in the Contract. "Road safety audit is conducted for NHDP roads and corrective steps are taken using the recommendations", he explained. However, he suggested that implementation of the overloading rule of M.V. Act should be made feasible; and the awareness campaign with corresponding enforcement of traffic rules should be able to bring in safe road use behaviours. The dignitaries present on the occasion of the Launch included Secretaries and other officials of Road and Road Transport from centre and various states, Representatives of PPP Concessionaires, Contractors, ADB, WB, etc. NGOs, Consultants, Insurance Companies, Automobile Manufacturers, Suppliers of road safety materials, FICCI, CII, ASSOCHM, PHDCCI and Automobile associations were also present at the highly attended launch ceremony.