In August 2017, International Road Federation (IRF) conceived and entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Shell Group of Companies for implementing a Road Safety and Awareness Programme in the Hazira Peninsula region of India. The National Highway 6 connecting the strategic port of Hazira to its catchment area, on which this programme is being implemented, is a highly important corridor, housing on either side premier Corporates, notable among them a large number of its oil companies. Apart from its contiguity to the Hazira Port, which gives it an undeniable primacy, the hazardous character of its traffic makes Road Safety actioning an unavoidable imperative.
The Pilot is designed to focus on selected key activities such as Hazira – Collation on Road Safety involving all stakeholders, Road Safety Audit, Driver Training and Education of School Children.
Activity 1: Creating the Hazira Collation on Road Safety (HCRS)
With representatives from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Government and the industrial units across the corridor, the HCRS will discuss issues that relate to road safety and required interventions to be undertaken collectively.
Activity 2: Road Safety Audit (RSA)
The RSA aims at drawing up meaningful road safety programmes through collection of concerned data.
A Stage-6 Road Safety Audit for blackspot identification and topographic survey conducted on a 47 Km long section of NH-6 in November 2017 and January 2018 identified 7 blackspots. Necessary design modifications have been worked out for implementation in conjunction with the Authorities.
Activity 3: Driver Training
The IRF had imparted a 60 day Defensive Driver Training at Hazira, and trained 3055 drivers.
Activity 4: Education of School Children
Driven by its firm belief that catching them young is inevitably likely to result in the early stage engendered awareness taking root, IRF engaged the services of Muskaan Foundation, a prominent NGO to implement the education of school children initiative in 2 phases commencing January 2018. 9 Schools, 1050 Students & 172 Teachers were covered.
A dedicated Team of 2 to 5 Trainers, accompanied by representatives of Hazira LNG and a local NGO was variously in charge of the Training.
