Dedicated Two-Wheeler Lanes Might Be Introduced On Indian Roads

To curb the rising number of road crashes in India, the Ministry of Road, Transport, and Highways has come up with a plan to build dedicated lanes for two-wheelers on state highways and urban roads. Via this proposal, the ministry aims to reduce fatal road accidents by 70 per cent in terms of every 10,000 vehicles, and 50 per cent in terms of every 10,000 km of road length. 

This proposed programme has been conceptualised as part of the centrally sponsored scheme (CSS) and will have an expenditure cost of ₹14,000 crores. If passed, the scheme will be funded through central and state budgetary resources. Out of which the Centre will bear ₹9,948 crores, and the rest ₹4,053 crores will be borne by states.

(Also Read: No Need For Driving Tests At RTO From June 1: MoRTH)

The necessity for such a scheme has been in the making for a long time now. Moreover, government statistics have revealed that nearly 44 per cent of the road crashes and fatalities in India involve two-wheelers. And 17 per cent of road crashes and 19 per cent of fatalities involve pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheeler riders, all of which are categorised as vulnerable road users (VRU). 

As part of the new initiative, the Government of India has also issued a circulation titled ‘SAFE’  that primarily talks about strategies to reduce road crashes and deaths, with a special focus on VRUs. Additionally, the ministry has also proposed the inclusion of road safety in school curriculums.