Nitin Gadkari Emphasises Urgent Need for Enhanced Road Safety Measures

10 Mar 2025 CW Team

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, stressed the immediate need for improved road safety measures and urged the road construction sector to adopt new technologies and sustainable construction materials. Speaking at the two-day Global Road Infratech Summit & Expo (GRIS) in New Delhi, with the theme "Vision Zero: Sustainable Infratech and Policy for Safer Roads," Shri Gadkari pointed out that a significant number of road accidents in India occur due to inadequate civil engineering practices in road design, construction, and management, as well as poor road signage and markings. He recommended adopting practices from countries like Spain, Austria, and Switzerland to resolve these issues.

India records approximately 4,80,000 road accidents annually, resulting in 1,80,000 deaths and about 4,00,000 severe injuries. The majority of fatalities involve two-wheeler riders and pedestrians, with 1,40,000 deaths occurring in the 18-45 age group. These accidents contribute to an economic loss of 3% of GDP. Shri Gadkari placed blame on poor planning and design by engineers and criticised substandard project reports (DPRs). With road safety as a top priority, the government is aiming to reduce accident rates by 50% by 2030.

Gadkari also urged the industry and government to work together to find solutions for reducing road accidents, highlighting the need for stronger law enforcement and better emergency medical services.

Infrastructure Transport

18 Dec 2025

RVNL secures Rs 1.65 billion railway bridge project from North Eastern Railway

Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) has received a Letter of Award (LoA) from North Eastern Railway for a Rs 1.65 billion railway infrastructure project, strengthening its order book and showcasing its expertise in complex railway construction.The project involves constructing the substructure of a major railway bridge over the Gandak River, located between Paniyahwa and Valmikinagar stations. This is part of the doubling of the Gorakhpur Cantt–Valmikinagar railway section, aimed at improving line capacity and operational efficiency.The bridge will feature 14 spans of 61 metres each, built on double D-t..

Raebareli’s Modern Coach Factory rolls out 15,000th railway coach

The Modern Coach Factory (MCF) at Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh has achieved a major manufacturing milestone with the rollout of its 15,000th railway coach on December 15, the Ministry of Railways said.In a press note, the ministry said that MCF has already produced 1,310 coaches in the current financial year 2025–26, reflecting sustained high output at one of Indian Railways’ most advanced passenger coach manufacturing units.Established in 2007 at Lalganj in Raebareli district, MCF was built at a cost of Rs 31.92 billion with an initial annual production capacity of 1,000 coaches. The factor..

RailTel wins Rs 260.88 million IT infrastructure order from VOC Port

Navratna public sector undertaking RailTel Corporation of India has secured an IT infrastructure order worth Rs 260.88 million from V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (VOC Port), strengthening its presence in port-led digital transformation projects.According to an exchange filing dated December 16, 2025, RailTel has received a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) from VOC Port Authority for the implementation of advanced IT infrastructure at the port. The project is domestic in nature and is scheduled to be completed by August 15, 2026.The company said the order has been awarded in the normal course of ..