Govt working to reduce road fatalities to zero: Gadkari

New Delhi, Sep 10 (PTI) The government is working to reduce road fatalities to zero, Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday.

Addressing an event on road safety, organised by Zomato and Uber, Gadkari said the issue of road safety is not only related to road and automobile engineering, but also human behaviour.

"We are working to bring road fatalities to zero and with the help of all stakeholders, we will achieve this target," he said.

The government aims to halve the number of road accidents and resultant deaths by 2030.

The number of road accidents in India went up by 4.2 per cent to over 4.8 lakh in 2023, resulting in death of 20 persons every hour, according to a recent report by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

The report showed that 55 road accidents take place every hour in the country.

"A total number of 4,80,583 road accidents have been reported by Police Departments of states and Union Territories (UTs) in the country during the calendar year 2023, claiming 1,72,890 lives and causing injuries to 4,62,825 persons," the report titled 'Road accidents in India 2023' has said.

Zomato and Uber collaborated with the Ministry of Roaad Transport and Highways to support the "Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan" campaign for road safety.

The announcement was made by Gadkari and Prasoon Joshi, an acclaimed writer, poet and the conceptualiser of the Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan; alongside Aditya Mangla, Chief Executive Officer, Zomato, and Sooraj Nair, Head of Safety Operations, Uber India & South Asia.

As part of this initiative, both companies are integrating this message into their platforms. Zomato will disseminate road safety messages via its delivery partner app, and its consumer-facing food delivery platform.

Uber is investing in driver education, and will build awareness within its rider community to reinforce safe practices. The campaign will also be extended across social media platforms and digital channels to maximise reach and impact.

Speaking at the launch, Aditya Mangla, CEO, Zomato, said, "Through our support of MoRTH's 'Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan', in partnership with Uber, we aim to amplify a message that's both simple and powerful: safety must always come before speed. Slowing down and riding responsibly isn't just a personal choice - it's a life-saving one. Together, we can make our roads safer for everyone." Sooraj Nair, Head of Safety Operations, Uber India & South Asia, said, "Road safety in India demands collective action, and Uber will continue to lead from the front in making our cities safer for all." PTI BKS HVA