The seriousness of issue of road accident injuries and fatalities can be very well understand by going through statistics published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway.
The World Bank has published Global Road Safety Report 2015 which has analyzed the position of India and its position regarding implementation of road safety programs. As per the report though official figure (TRW, MORTH) road fatalities are 137572 (85 % male, and 15% female) which as per the WHO are calculated as 207551 i.e. 16.6 fatalities are taking place per lakh of population.
AS per MORTH records for year 2014 the number of road accidents are more than 6 lakh and the fatalities are 141526 With 477731 major injurious. This amount is 3 % of GDP is estimated lossed due to traffic Road Traffic Clashes. (Figures of 2015 are yet to published)
The Government of India and State Governments are making efforts to curtail the rate of road accidents and fatalities by various programs. Supreme Court of India has given direction and taken initiative by appointing Committee on Road Safety to monitor and measure implementation of road safety laws in the country while hearing public interest litigation.
Also Read: CSR: Chetak Foundation, VisionSpring and HMSI launch a road safety campaign for drivers
However there is a need that the Government NGO’s, Institutes and Corporate sector shall work together to address this complex issues related to multi stakeholder involvement.
(Mr. K.K. Kapila, Chairman, IRF GPC) While addressing the conference on Role on Corporate Road Safety through light express elaborating upon the provisions of the CSR Section of the Companies Act, Kapila said that the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has notified section 135 and Schedule VII of the Companies Act 2013 as well as the provisions of the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014, which has come into effect from April1, 2014.
Accordingly, every company, private or public, which either has net worth of Rs.500 crore or a turnover of Rs.1,000 crore or net profit of Rs. 5 crore to spend at least 2 % of its average net profit of the immediately preceding three financial years on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.
The CSR activities must be with respect to any of the activities mentioned in Schedule VII of the 2013 Act. The said notification also mentions that the report of the Board of Directors attached to the financial statements of the Company would also need to include an annual report on the CSR activities of the company in the prescribed format.
Where a company has a website, the CSR policy of the company would need to be disclosed on such website. The Schedule VII, without any ambiguity specifies different heads under which CSR activities can be undertaken by Corporate. Suggested that two such heads under which Road Safety works can be undertaken are one Education (of civic responsibilities including Road safety) and Social Business Project (treatment of accident victims, assistance in getting them compensation etc.)
The Ministry of Company Affairs vide there general circular no. 21/2014 dated 18, June 2014 has clarified regarding inclusion of various activities such as driver training, mass road safety education and awareness, accident trauma care, rehabitation support to accident victim under section 135 of Companies Act 2013, which can be included in corporate social responsibility.
It includes the activities such as Road Safety Awareness Programs under CSR. At WHO level decade of action has been declared from 2011-2020 for creating awareness and taking action for saving lives in road accident with tagline “Together we can save billions of lives”.
On the same line it is appeal to the corporate world to join hand to create safe road environment. There is a normal trade to sponsor educational programs at schools, colleges and for community some of programs like medical camp for drivers and exhibition banners and posters are undertaken.
But considering the for which magnitude of the problem of Road Accidents geographical area of country we shall have sustainable effect following options can be considered for indepth effect of CSR activities.
Activities / Programs which can be undertaken in CSR:
1. Regarding strengthening the road safety legislation
India is democratic country and new legislation required sanctioned of public representatives at State Level and Central Level (by MP’s and MLA’s).
Hence, to build up public opinion for accepting the new legislation, seminars and workshop of public representatives and bureaucrats, can play vital role in getting fast track approval of the required provisions for the purpose of preparing the documentation for any amendment or intersection of any new laws it is required to prepare documents on need assessment and effect of the similar adoption of the provisions in other countries.
For which the help of some institutes are required similarly. The groups of lawyers, non lawyers, NGO’s and officials of implementing agencies are required to brought together for deciding the acceptability of the provisions methods of implementation and time frame, thus this sponsorship for survey, drafting, pre-meeting, seminars, workshop can be sponsored by corporate under the said head. eg. Road Safety Bill 2014 is based on recommendation Save Life foundation which has been sponsored by Bloomberg Foundation, under its Road Safety initiative.
2. Investment in Infrastructure
a. Driving-Training
Regular driving training and Graduate licensing can be upgraded/started by providing simulator, dual control vehicle, establishment of workshops, classroom, practical halls, testing tracks etc.
This scheme can be workout with existing industrial training institutes (ITI) and degree/diploma engineering colleges, where infrastructure such as ground, class rooms and automobile workshops already available.
The corporate can sponsor the movable infrastructure such as vehicles, training tools, cut section models and also import training to upgrade the skills and knowledge of driving instructors.
b. Driving-Testing
It is need of time to have transparency and exact mapping of skill driving test this can be achieved with electronically monitored testing tracks (RFID based) and computer generated results. However the cost of infrastructure and manual maintenance is considerly high and which cannot be covered by the current fees paid by the applicant for testing. Hence, this activity can be covered under CSR.
Existing space available with Transport Authorities, PWD (Public Works Department) Govt. ITI’s can be utilized for this purpose. In Maharashtra such type of testing tracks are already at RTO Baramati, Central Institute of Transport, Pune (CIRT) has.
c. Inspection in used vehicle
We are strengthen the laws regarding manufacturing of the more safer vehicle, however to bring the old vehicle to more nearer to their manufacturing standards automated testing stations are required which will have brake dynameters, head lights analyzer, pollution checking machines, wheel alignment machine and also checks for confirmation of leak proof pipe connections of CNG and LPG vehicles.
Central Government has given one pilot project to Maharashtra which is already started working at RTO Nashik. One or series of setting of fully equipped vehicle testing center can be covered under CSR.
Also Read: CSR Partnership for Quality Healthcare and Road Safety for truck drivers
d. Infrastructure for road improvement
Design of road plays an important role in road safety while designing the road is well accepted fact. In the world that the road should be of forgiving nature, so that the mistakes of the drivers can be absorbed to some extend.
Also the road shall give intimation of incoming changes dangers to the drivers. eg. Proper road marking and road signs, shock absorbing barricades, additional survival side space, roundabout traffic light signals, redesigning of road with pedestrian facility such type of work can be undertaken by corporate in association with Local Corporation/PWD and Police Authority etc.
Many of the roundabout in metros are sponsored by corporate for beautification at the same time the aspects of road safety should be kept in mind. Bhakti-Shakti Junction at Nigadi in old Pune-Mumbai road is also a CSR sponsorship project with Pune.
3. Enforcement
Engineering techniques are to be followed by awareness education and enforcement to get maximum success in road safety. Enforcement in India is normally done by Traffic Police in metros highway Police Authorities on national and state highways and in addition by officers of Transport Department in districts with increasing population and number of vehicles registered and visiting daily it is very difficult to carryout effective enforcement in most of the cities and highways, due to limited man power and infrastructure.
This can be overcome by short term and long term majors which includes availability of additional man power use of modern machinery and technology in Pune Mumbai. The sponsor human resources in the form traffic order is a very effective short term major as it may not be advisable to keep such force on external resources.
The equipment such as interceptor, e-challan, machine, breath analyzer, speed gun, noise detectors, fluorescent jackets, CCTV system with control room SC readers way in motion machine can be a part of CSR package for enforcement. Training of officials and in house and sponsor staff for enforcement as well as first aid will also be cover under vocational training in CSR activity.
4. Investment in Research and Development in Road Safety
The research and development activity is required to be carried out for knowing the causes of road accidents and suggesting and implementing the interventions. For this purpose data collection survey, data analysis is required to be carried out by experts research fellows.
When the cause of road accident is known then there might be multiple interventions/solutions. So, to adopt most appropriate solutions, intervention they are required to be tested and practical implementation is required which shall be carried out by institutional experts. This is continuous process, so to develop research fellows and making the availability of guidance of experts.
It is required to sponsored the Chair at Universities / Institutes of Technologies (IIT’s) along with sponsorship for research fellows.
It is also required to sponsored project cost in terms of infrastructure or technology & transport. This can be taken care in CSR activities. eg. The chair sponsored by Volvo at TRIPP, IIT Delhi and Walchand Chairs at in Department of Transport Economics at Mumbai University.
5. Road Accident Trauma Care
As discuss about after taking due efforts regarding safer road, driver, vehicle, infrastructure we are required to concentrate one more aspect that is Accident Trauma Care and Human Emergency Care.
Though we are expecting zero accident if we succeed to create all above we are also required to be ready to face unexpected road incidents it is accepted fact if road accident victims gets Medical Aid within first hour of accident (Golden Hour) then the chances of are survival are maximum. So to have efficient accident trauma and emergency care system in place, corporate can tie up with local hospitals and public health department for providing equipped ambulances.
They can also upgrade primary health centers on national highway and state highways can be upgraded to emergency trauma care centers. They can conduct blood bank camps can sponsored artificial limbs to accident victims, can create and provide IT system with GPS & GPRS to monitor the movement of existing ambulances and hospitals providing services. eg. The emergency care provided by GVR ins Andhra Pradesh.
6. Publicity
Public awareness and mass education can be carried out through school, colleges and general public gathering. However to have systematic corporate can tie up with NSS unit (National Social services Unit) at University for large scale or can adopt individual college. The Road Safety awareness campaign shall include survey of individual Travels mode, the parking facilities, visibility survey of providing mass transport to majorities of population. Survey of safe travel route and advocacy about use of footpath, bicycle, mass transport.
a. Publicity Material for Awareness
The creation of small animation film, documentary on causes of accidents and safe use of automobile may be effective made of mass awareness campaign. Preparing mobile exhibition van with concepts such as pedestrian safety, use of helmet, seat belt, how the use of mobile or other distraction become cause of accident, use of mass transport to reduce pollution as well as too reducing the risks of accidents can be included in the themes in exhibition. These project will be very much useful to connect villages nearby highways. Eg. Mercedes Benz project of exhibition van for schools children.
b. Children Traffic Park
Creation of Traffic Children Park will be prominent activity for help the school going children to know actual road seen, infrastructure in road transport, care required to be taken while using the road and also give chance of getting feeling of actual use of road.
One traffic park in one metro city will be attraction for not only in the school within the city but for schools nearby 50-100 km performable which can be included in their education TRIPP. The Auto manufacturer Hero Motors has created six traffic park and oil manufacturer BPCL and Castrol are also promoter of safety by way of creation of traffic park.
Also Read: CSR: Tata Motors to raise awareness on road safety and trauma caused by vehicular accidents
c. Road safety curriculum s for school children
“Catch them young” is famous slogan of cultivating the concept for school level though syllabus of state and central school regarding road safety in units in different subjects and indifferent years.
However the consolidated efforts are required to be taken to review what is included and what level & what is required which require to constitutes a small committee of experts from Traffic Police, Transport Department, Education Department, Psychologist and Transport experts is required to constituted and after preparing the syllabus it may be converted to workbooks. The sponsorship of whole project or sponsorship of printing the workbooks for student, teacher manuals can one of the activity covered.
7. Motivation for Mass Transport Service
State Transport Undertaking In many of prominent cities due to monopoly are providing stage carriage services Public Transport is normally provided at subsidies rate. So to support the STU’s by providing capital investment in terms of new buses, expert human resources, for effective management, methods of operation and maintenance, support of IT hardware and software for optimum use and control of the resources can be consider for CSR activities.
Even the survey on behalf of the Transport Authorities for recommendation regarding mode of transport, use of alternative route for existing transport route or proposed transport route can be considered as Public Service Project.
Hinjewadi Bus facilities for different BPO’s under umbrella of association is one of the example of coming together to save lives, fuel as well as reducing congestion and population eg. “Metro Zip” by Hinjewadi Industrial Association in association with MIDC & RTO, Pune.
Though this conference is for safety of workers and officials employed in the corporate, they and their families and even the guest of the companies are travelling in the environment which is freely access by general road users.
Therefore the corporate shall take initiative on priority basis to create safe road transport policy for the company as well as safe road environment all around.
About the Author
Sanjay Sasane, DME, AMIE, LLB, MPM. He is officer working in Motor Vehicle Department for last 32 years and working in the field of Road Safety Education, Public Transport and Environment Protection.
Views are personal.
(Copy Right @ India CSR)
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