India

Road safety is an area of great concern to India, which has recorded one of the highest accident rates in the world. According to the OECD, 90,000 people were killed due to road accidents in 2004 and about 4,000,000 persons seriously injured, with highway accidents accounting for almost 50% of the total.

India has taken strides in order to address these problems, and has ought out international collaboration to assist in doing so. A number of joint research projects between the EU and India exist, and an agreement was signed in November 2004 by the EC RTD Surface Transport Unit and the Society for Innovation and Development, Bangalore for cooperation on road transport research. The SIMBA project will continue to strengthen this agreement.

Incident management requires improvement, whether on highways or within cities, towns and villages. The Indian Ministry of Road Transport and Highways drafted a National Road Safety Policy to promote awareness about the seriousness of the road accident problem and its social and economic implications. The Indian Ministry of Urban Development has proposed a National Urban Transport Policy to make cities the ‘engine of India’s economic growth’. This would be achieved by reducing congestion, improving road safety and fostering the use of sustainable technologies.

India’s capital Delhi will host the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and this is acting as a driver to improve urban transport. Both the Indian Government and local Delhi authorities are involved in developing a safe, efficient and modern transport system capable of hosting large events. Current plans include the construction of new roads, an integrated public transport system and the use of solar-powered electric buses – all opening opportunities for collaboration within SIMBA.