Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari emphasised the importance of leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technologies to enhance road safety in India, amid rising road accidents. Speaking at the 12th Traffic InfraTech Expo on October 25, 2024, Gadkari underscored the critical need to adopt innovative solutions in the transportation sector to address this growing concern. Highlighting alarming statistics, Gadkari noted that India records approximately five lakh road accidents annually, with a significant proportion of fatalities affecting individuals aged 18-36. He estimated the economic loss from accidents at nearly 3% of the nation’s GDP. Improving road safety, he stressed, is a top government priority, with several initiatives already underway. The minister advocated for improving road engineering using state-of-the-art global technologies and expressed interest in collaborating with Indian startups and young engineers working on innovative safety solutions. Gadkari stressed that road safety can only be achieved by integrating engineering advancements, effective law enforcement, and AI-driven technologies. He further discussed the ministry's push toward tech-based law enforcement, including the use of AI for traffic violation detection, enabling precise penalties. Gadkari also shared plans to modernise toll collection by exploring satellite-based tolling systems to enhance efficiency and transparency. To accelerate progress, the government will appoint experts from the private sector to develop new safety technologies. A dedicated committee will evaluate proposals from startups and industry leaders, with a three-month timeline to finalise its assessments and ensure rapid improvements. Gadkari assured that quality and standards will remain uncompromised, regardless of whether solutions come from large corporations or small firms. He encouraged smaller companies with innovative technologies to participate in government tenders, emphasising the need for cost-effective solutions without compromising profitability. (ET)