Committee to improve traffic management

In order to improve road safety standards and traffic management in the country, the Ministry of Road Transport has finalised the formalities for setting up a committee on traffic management.

It would be a regulatory-cum-advisory body, which would function as an advisor to the ministry on setting standards and designs for vehicles.

The ministry, which has received feedback from all state governments for setting up the body, would be holding a workshop early next month to finalise the modalities.

Once this is done, the proposal would be sent for the Cabinet's clearance. Early this year, the ministry had received recommendations from the Sundar Committee on the nature and functioning of the proposed committee.

The committee had been set up by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in 2005 to deliberate and recommend the creation of a body on road safety and traffic regulations, keeping in mind the number of road accidents taking place in India and the need to incorporate road safety measures applicable in other countries.

The proposed traffic management body, as suggested by the Sundar Committee, would advise the government on various aspects of road safety.

Also, in consultation with the Indian Road Congress, it would set safety standards, for the design, construction and operation of national highways, including road infrastructure, as part of its regulatory functions.

According to ministry sources, the proposed body may be called the National Road Safety and Traffic Management Board.

The Sundar Committee has suggested that the body could be created through an Act of Parliament and its funding could also be governed by the Act.

It could have experts from fields of road engineering, automobile engineering, traffic laws and medical care as members. The number of members would be decided later, sources said.