Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said that road safety is a high priority area for the Government. He said this today at SAFE Convention organised by the ‘Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers’ (SIAM) at hotel Swosti in Bhubaneswar.
The Chief Minister said: “We have adopted a four-fold strategy to make our roads safer – by enforcement, education improvement in road engineering and emergency care”.
He also inaugurated an exhibition of new safe technologies for automobiles on the occasion.
Highlighting the state’s performance in road safety initiatives, Naveen said that Odisha has scored 66 per cent and categorised as a ‘high performer’ in implementing road safety measures during an audit conducted by the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety.
The Odisha CM further said that the Supreme Court Committee has also rated some of our initiatives as best practices and suggested recommendations to neighbouring states.
“Our Government has started a Reward Scheme for the people who help road accident victims. I am happy to share that more and more people are coming forward to help the road accident victims,” he added.
The Chief Minister thanked the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers for organising the event in collaboration with the State Transport department. “The convention will be a great occasion to address issues of road safety, environmental concerns and sharing solutions,” he added.
As you know, he said focussing on safety technologies, with changing trends in the mobility sector, new technologies are being introduced for better and safer driving experiences. It would be indeed a great experience here to know about new technologies behind safer and high-performing vehicles, he added.
Saying that road accidents are a serious cause of concern for all of us. Many people lose their lives in road accidents across the country, including our state, every year. This has a serious impact on families and our economy, he expressed concern.
He appreciated SIAM for extending responsibility beyond vehicular engineering. It has been at the forefront in driver training programmes and health check-up drives for commercial drivers, he added.
CM Naveen Patnaik expressed hope that the automobile manufacturers would continue to partner in our initiatives to make our roads safer and better.
Speaking on the occasion, Transport Minister Smt Tukuni Sahu said that as many as 7 lakh new vehicles are being registered in the state every year. They are contributing immensely to our economy. But to increasing accidents, this growth is undermined.
She expressed hope that automobile manufacturers will bring in new and safe technology to help make the roads safer for people.
Among others, President & CEO of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Mr Atsushi Ogata, President SIAM Mr Vinod Aggarwal, Global Head of Tata Motors Sushant Naik, President of Ashok Leyland Dr N. Saravanan also spoke on the occasion.
