Nitin Gadkari Highlights Faulty Road Designs As Cause Of Rising Accidents
"Most of the road accidents happen in the country due to small civil mistakes, faulty DPRs and nobody is held accountable," Gadkari, who is known for his frank views, said.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari attributed the rise in road accidents and fatalities to faulty project reports and defective road designs by civil engineers and consultants.
Speaking at the Global Road Infratech Summit & Expo, he emphasised the urgent need to improve road safety measures.
"Most of the road accidents happen in the country due to small civil mistakes and faulty DPRs and nobody is held accountable," Gadkari, who is known for his frank views, said.
The minister also called upon the road construction industry to develop strategies to enhance road safety by adopting newer technologies and sustainable recyclable construction materials.
"Even small things like road signages and marking systems are very poor in India. We need to learn from countries like Spain, Austria and Switzerland," the road transport and highways minister added.
Gadkari pointed out that worst quality DPRs are made in India, holding engineers largely responsible for the rise in number of road accidents due to poor planning and design.
"This gives me a feeling that basically the engineers are responsible for increasing road accidents. So, the main problem is road engineering and defective planning and defective DPRs,” he said.
Gadkari stated that India experienced 180,000 road accident deaths in 2023. He emphasised that road safety is a top priority for the government, which aims to reduce road accidents by 50% by 2030.
At the same event, International Road Federation President Emeritus K.K. Kapila highlighted the importance of prioritising safety in road design, construction, and management. He expressed the summit's goal of moving towards a future with minimal road accidents, ultimately aiming for zero fatalities.
(With PTI Inputs)
