'Policy on PPP needed for intelligent traffic system to reduce road accidents'

New Delhi: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said there is a need for a policy on public private partnership (PPP) model for an intelligent traffic system to reduce road accidents.

A reputed private consultant will be appointed to come out with the model, the Road Transport, Highways and MSME Minister said while asserting that post implementation of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, road accidents and related deaths have come down.

India, on an average, witnesses about 5 lakh road accidents per annum in which about 1.5 lakh people die and about 3 lakh are crippled.

"This is the time we should go for PPP (public private partnership) model in transportation...We will appoint a private consultant, a good reputed company to study how we can make PPP model in transport system particularly in Intelligent Transport System (ITS) at state level, municipal corporation level and the National Highways level,"the minister said while addressing a webinar on road safety organised by non-profit body Consumer Voice.

He said a tender will be released soon in this regard.

An ITS comprises centralised control centres, closed tolling systems which also include components like CCTV, weather monitoring, variable message signs, advanced communication system, traffic management, simulation, digital services driven by AI among others to streamline traffic.

The minister also expressed confidence that road accidents and related 1.5 lakh deaths per annum would be reduced by 50 per cent by 2025 against the target of 2030.

"We are working on fast track mode to achieve the goal with the cooperation of all stakeholders especially the state governments," he said.

The minister said he has taken lot of initiatives to reduce road accidents including correcting black spots or spots witnessing a high number of accidents due to bad road designing or other road engineering or related flaws.