Recent events have seen the 18th meeting of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) and the 39th gathering of the Transport Development Council (TDC) held in New Delhi. These meetings were conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH). The main discussion point in these meetings was strategies to improve society’s engagement towards road accidents and ways to improve the prospects of accident victims who could be saved within the first ‘golden hour.’
Understanding the Concept of Golden Hour
The term ‘golden hour’ refers to the immediate hour following a traumatic injury during which there are the highest chances of preventing death through timely medical treatment. This crucial period was one of the key points discussed.
Key Topics Discussed
Numerous aspects of road safety were considered in the meeting, including The Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act 2019, Tourist Vehicles Authorization and Permit Rules 2019, guidelines for bus ports, digitisation of transport, abolition of border check posts, inter-state transfer of vehicle registration and driving licenses, harmonization of road taxes across states under the ‘One Nation One Tax’ initiative, and the vehicle scrapping policy.
The discussions also dealt with guidelines for setting up, authorizing, and operating a vehicle scrapping facility as well as the implementation of a vehicle tracking platform under the Nirbhaya framework.
Improvements Noticed
The meeting spotlighted a 36% improvement on national highways and a 26% enhancement on state highways.
Steps Forward
| Area of Focus | Action Needed |
|---|---|
| Road Audits | Inclusion of NGOs and engineering students |
| Road Safety | Instigate behavioural change |
| Road Discipline | Nurture it from family, school, and society level |
About the National Road Safety Council
The NRSC is an advisory body established under section 215 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The goal of this council is to improve road safety aspects in the road transport sector. The committee, chaired by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, was divided into five separate working groups in 2011 by the MoRTH focusing on the four Es of road safety – Education, Engineering of Roads, Engineering of Vehicles, Enforcement, and Emergency Care.
Transport Development Council
The TDC is the highest body that advises the government on all matters related to roads and road transport. The Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways chairs the council, which meets at least once a year.
