India Has The Second-Largest Road Network In The World: Nitin Gadkari At The World Road Congress

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, while addressing the 27th World Road Congress in Prague, highlighted the significant challenges India faces in terms of road safety. He emphasized that India boasts the second-largest road network globally and is the third-largest automobile manufacturing hub. Despite this, road accidents remain a major issue in the country. Gadkari acknowledged the government's efforts to address this problem, including legislation aimed at sternly penalizing those who violate road safety laws. However, he expressed concern over the limited success in curbing accidents, pointing to the crucial role of human behavior. Changing mindsets, he argued, is essential, and road safety education has been integrated into the school curriculum to instill awareness from a young age. Highlighting the economic impact of accidents, Gadkari revealed that India loses 3% of its GDP due to road accidents. To combat this, the government is collaborating with celebrities, filmmakers, and organizations to raise awareness. The ambitious goal is to reduce accidents by 50% by 2030, underscoring the nation's commitment to enhancing road safety.