IRF | International Road Federation

The activities of IRF in India is not new. Five Regional Conferences were organized in India successively since 2006 onwards on some of the most topical subjects like “Business & Environment for Future Road Development in India”, “Road Safety - Design, Construction and Operations of Roads”, “Mobility and Safety in Road Transport”“Accident Prevention: Road Safety Measures”and “Institutional Arrangement for Reduction of Road Fatalities”.

On maturing the roots, IRF India Chapter was inaugurated on 5th February 2009.

India has taken up the giant road development programme. Countrywide enhanced mobility has given rise to a huge road safety problem with the dubious distinction of highest road fatalities per year in the world. IRF India Chapter, therefore, justifiably has taken up its first mission as “Reduction of Road Fatalities”.
The daunting target of reducing road fatalities to 50% has been fixed for 2012, and therefore, a multi-pronged approach has been adopted with various planned activities as follows :

• A joint initiative of IRF India with Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Govt. of India has been launched as “National Campaign for Reduction of Road Fatalities” on 23 September 2009.

• Five Regional Conferences were held on topics related to Road Development and Road Safety with a galaxy of speakers from developing and developed world.

• Extensive inputs have been provided for amendment and modification of the Motor Vehicle Act of India, which needed much more stringent requirements of all provisions pertaining to licensing and control of road traffic in its totality.

• A recommendation has been sent for consideration of Govt. of India to provide exemption of customs duty for import of all advanced road safety devices including ITS equipments.

• Another similar recommendation has been sent for Govt. of India's consideration to provide tax exemption to corporate agency or philanthropist individual who invests to create infrastructures for vulnerable road users like pedestrian under or overpass, cycle path etc, for enhancing safety.

• IRF is garnering support and funding from both Government and corporate sources for extensive road safety campaign in Television, Radio, Print Media, Social Network, etc.