Stronger implementation of laws is the need of the hour

It is clear that the new proposed Road Transport and Safety Bill from the government of India will take the country on a new path of greater road safety for the benefit of all. The draft of the Bill is a big step forward; it merits strong support from the media, private sector, and public at large.

But little change will come through laws if the enforcement is not there.

    The following figures show how little enforcement in the roads is a fact in the country:
  • Almost 400 people are killed on roads every day in India. This is the equivalent of a daily jumbo jet plane crash.
  • India’s national highways are esp cially dangerous, accounting for only two percent of the country’s total road network, but more than 30 pe cent of road-related deaths and injuries.
  • Pedestrian fatalities are a large pr portion of accidents. In Delhi, for example, pedestrian fatalities account for 45-51 percent of all road traffic deaths.
  • Road traffic crashes in India cost the country an estimated annual GDP loss of three percent, according to WHO estimates.

It is in this context that the 9th IRF Regional Conference gains much relevance. This two-day summit (held in early October in Delhi) has not only called for improved and updated laws, but will also suggest ways for their strict implementation or enforcement.

regulations as of today on road safety, the country suffers from high levels of unsafe driving practices, poor maintenance of vehicles and little attention to pedestrians and car crashes.

How these laws will be implemented is something that ultimately will evolve It’s clear the proposed Road Transport and Safety Bill will take India to a new path. from within India. Local culture and context is what determines the wisdom and efficiency of the implementation and enforcement of a certain rule or law. We all know that simply borrowing ideas from foreign lands will not be the most effective way to tackle India’s road safety challenges.

Indeed, India has sufficiently potent laws regarding vehicle inspection, drink driving, wearing helmets or using seat belts. Even so, you find cases people managing to bypass them. How? It’s because the enactment system somewhere lets them escape. So, that’s one area that requires focus when it comes to plugging the loopholes.

Pedestrian safety is perhaps the biggest challenge that India should focus on. You cannot have roads just for vehicles to ply. So it is time India ensured better infrastructure for freer and safer movement of its pedestrians, who often are amongst the poorest in the country.

Furthermore, there is a general driver mindset that warrants change in India too. That would require a deliberate drive to make it happen. We have best practices from Australia and Sweden, where sustained awareness campaigns led to safer behaviour of both drivers and walkers. I am aware that moves are already afoot on this in India, dramatic improvements are needed over a short period of time if the country is to make substantive progress in reducing road fatalities and injuries. China, still with a Indian roads suffer from disturbingly high levels of traffic congestions, unsafe driving practices, below-par maintenance of vehicles as well as roads, unscientific construction and confusing, if not misleading, signage. population a bit larger than India’s, also has its own set of road-safety challenges even as that country is further developing.

Another challenge in India is the lack of sufficient coordination between the state and central road safety agencies. This has been a lingering problem, but there are signs of improvement, and we are also seeing a welcome spread of knowledge and awareness about road safety best practices.

We are positive that the government’s will to move this agenda forward can transform India’s roads. But we do know that once the law is in place a bigger challenge will be Law Enforcement.

The World Bank is fully committed to supporting India’s efforts to improve safety in its cities and along high-risk corridors. We see it as imperative of our broader poverty reduction efforts.

We are conscious, however, that many challenges remain ahead, and we stand ready to support the country to improve its road safety record and save thousands of precious lives. If this country has now discovered a new interest in cleanliness (Swachh Bharat Abhiyan), then it can find one in road safety as well.