Autobayng News Team
The convention included plenary sessions on the role of education and engineering in road safety, and on enforcement, emergency care and evaluation.“>
The Society for Automotive Fitness & Environment (SAFE), an initiative of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), held its 26th Annual Convention under its Safe Journey initiative at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The theme of the event was ‘Together for Safe Roads and Green Mobility: Building a Sustainable India’.Policymakers, industry representatives, and experts discussed measures to strengthen road safety and promote sustainable transport.In a video message, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy, said: “The Ministry of Heavy Industries has invested over ₹60,000 crore to boost domestic manufacturing in order to strengthen battery energy storage and support clean energy adoption. EV adoption crossed two million in 2024, driving a circular transport economy. This is India’s opportunity to lead the world in innovation, responsibility and inclusivity.”Delhi government’s road safety and electrification goals
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Chief Guest at the convention, said, “Accidents happen every minute, every hour – and it is not the vehicles but our behaviour that causes them. We must shed the mindset that breaking rules is a badge of pride. Stricter enforcement is vital, but real change will come only when we follow traffic rules for our own safety, not out of fear of penalties.”
She added that Delhi aims for one in three vehicles in the city to be electric and is targeting full electrification of public transport by 2026. She also launched SIAM’s SAFE Road Safety Context Paper and a new student engagement initiative on road safety.
Guest of Honour, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Delhi Minister for Environment, Forest & Wildlife, Industries, Food & Supplies, said, “A progressive country is one that advances in sustainability and moves toward net-zero goals.” He also referred to the Prime Minister’s slogan “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” and noted a reduction in garbage dumps in Delhi since the present government took office.
Enforcement and data systems
Mahmood Ahmed, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, said, “Road safety needs collaboration between government, policymakers, industry and users. We are building a comprehensive accident database through EDAR, integrating it with SARTHI for licensing, VAHAN for vehicle registration and PM Gati Shakti.”
Sanjay Bandopadhyaya, Member of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, added, “Despite our target to halve accidents, cases rose drastically in 2023. We must adopt digital vehicle systems and strengthen electronic enforcement to curb recklessness.”Ajay Chaudhry, Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Delhi Police, said, “Delhi has cut accident fatalities by 8 per cent, but we cannot stop here. The city still sees a high number of challans for speeding and violations. Stricter penalties with zero leniency are needed.”
Industry perspectives
Sushant Naik, President of SAFE and Global Head of Government & Public Affairs at Tata Motors, said, “Safety cannot be an afterthought, it must start from design and manufacturing and become a culture we live by. Over 1.73 lakh lives are lost each year, a stark reminder that action should be urgent and collective. Road safety cannot succeed without its 5Es – Education, Engineering, Emergency Care, Enforcement and Evaluation.”
ICAT Director Saurabh Dalela added, “We lose 1.7 lakh lives every year, making road safety a shared duty. Speeding and missing road signs are major causes. Every stakeholder must have a clear SOP, just like in developed nations.”
The convention included plenary sessions on the role of education and engineering in road safety, and on enforcement, emergency care and evaluation.
SIAM highlighted ongoing efforts in electrification of mobility, promotion of ethanol, recycling practices, gas-based transport infrastructure, hydrogen fuel, and road safety through its Safe Journey initiative.
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