PUNE: The city of Pune witnessed initiation of hundreds of Drive Safe Clubs in many of its schools, colleges and corporate campuses through more than 1 KM walkathon from SSPMS Ground through Mangalwar Peth station of Pune’s Maha Metro and return, amounting to 1.5 Million safety steps donation by NGO Drive Smart, Drive Safe, held on 14th Feb. A Mass Pledge of 8 Point Road Safety Code of Conduct was also organized on this occasion. Road safety is a collective responsibility. This mega Walkathon where more than 1350 Citizens including school children came together, was one of its kind for Pune, to promote awareness, education, and positive change. The first-ever open-platform mega road safety walkathon was a massive success held on the last day of National Road Safety Month announced by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The walkathon was Flagged Off by Shashikant Borate, DCP, Traffic Police Pune, Rama Shankar Pandey, CEO of Tata Green Batteries, Dr.Reji Mathai, Director, ARAI, Shyam Singh, Plant Head, Pune – Tata Motors The Passenger Vehicle The Ltd., The Prasanna Patwardhan, President, BOCI, Pratyush Khare, Tata Motors, Dr.Parag Kalkar, VC, Savitribai Phule Pune University & Rekha Magar, Chairperson-FICCI FLO, Pune Chapter.
The campaign “India Against Road Crash, season 2024”, has a threefold objective to increase awareness about road safety, encourage responsible driving behavior, and reduce the number of road accidents. The key to achieving these goals lies in the collaboration between law enforcement agencies, community organizations, Industries, and academic institutions.
The campaign is being supported by various organizations such as ACMA, ASDC, ARAI, AISSMS, ASC, AITWA, BOCI, FICCI_FLO, CIRT, Pune City Traffic, Pune Metro, NDRF, Ranjangaon Industries Association, SAE India & ASC. The campaign is being partnered with Tata Motors, Tata Autocomp, Tata Green Batteries, and Continental India. Additionally, volunteers from schools, colleges, runners, bikers and walkers groups joined the campaign to bring the change.
One of the highlights of the event was to inspire young Indians to click selfies with Safe Bikers club members and the Helmet Man of India. This campaign aims to promote safer road behavior by committing to self-discipline, respecting other road users, being a defensive driver, following road rules, and symbolizing the commitment through a “step donation”.
More than 1350 Volunteers were inducted as Road Safety Warriors and they will start Drive Safe clubs in their organizations before the next Road Safety Month 12 months from now. The campaign aims to channel these resources to bring a positive transformation in Pune City’s civic traffic sense.
“The most recent data on road accidents in India is concerning. With one person dying every four minutes and one accident occurring every minute, the situation is critical and cannot be ignored. It is crucial to understand that road safety is the responsibility of every individual. We need to involve the community in road safety initiatives by collaborating with schools, colleges, and local organizations to raise awareness. There are many reasons for road crashes but one definite immediate solution is, Let’s Be The Change (Jab Hum Badlenge Toh Desh Badlega) ” said Rama Shankar Pandey, Chairman, Aftermarket Committee, ACMA and Chairman, Road Safety, FICCI, and Chief Executive Officer, Tata AutoComp GY Batteries Pvt. Ltd.
“While observing Nations having some of the safest roads, Self-enforcement remains a core principle of their success. It’s well established that following Road Rules saves lives. We will be safe with self-enforcement, our society and our country will be safe’, Said Shyam Singh, Plant Head, Pune – Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd.
“Road safety is an extremely important topic that affects all of us, whether we are pedestrians or drivers. Our actions on the road have a significant impact on our safety and the safety of others. We must prioritize safety over all other aspects and ensure a secure journey for everyone.” said Dr. Reji Mathai, Director of ARAI.
Concerned citizens, civil society members, traffic police, and scores of road safety volunteers participated in this walkathon.
Club D2S – Drive Smart Drive Safe (D2S) is a Section 25 Company, an NGO that aims to educate people on road safety and reduce road accidents and deaths on Indian roads. We intend to reduce the occurrence of conditions that contribute to fatalities on roads like poor visibility, driver negligence and fatigue, negligence of safety norms, drunken driving, speeding, etc.
Through awareness rallies, safety campaigns, street plays, special events, and traditional and social media campaigns, we work towards raising awareness of road safety and connecting with citizens towards best practices in road travel.
