International Road Federation seeks to join hands with MoRTH to boost road safety audit

New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS) Geneva-based the International Road Federation (IRF) has proposed a partnership with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to advance the national framework for Road Safety Audit Certification in India, it was announced on Monday. 

The global road safety body working worldwide for better and safer roads along with its India Chapter (IRF-IC), wrote to the ministry in response to MoRTH’s communication in October, seeking to enhance professional standards in road safety auditing.

Over 1.73 lakh people were killed and 4.47 lakh others were injured in road accidents across the country in 2023, with nearby 46 per cent of the victims being two-wheeler riders, according to a recent report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

K.K. Kapila, President (Emeritus), IRF, and Founder President, IRF-IC, highlighted the urgent national imperative for building a highly skilled cadre of road safety auditors.

In his communication to the Ministry, he noted that road crashes continue to claim thousands of lives each year and inflict substantial economic loss, underscoring the critical need for internationally aligned capacity building.

The IRF’s International Registry Programme, an initiative established to develop, recognise, and accredit competent Road Safety Auditors worldwide, forms the cornerstone of this proposal.

The programme has already been successfully implemented in several countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, Tanzania, Turkey, and India, creating a unified global standard for road safety auditing.

In India, the programme was formally launched in October 2025, supported by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in New Delhi and the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) in Mumbai.

Over 40 engineers underwent intensive theoretical and practical assessments based on internationally approved norms and were awarded the Certification of Competence.

“These certified professionals will initially participate in international audits as Observers, progressing to Team Members and eventually Team Leaders as they gain field experience,” said IRF.

IRF-IC emphasised that a formal collaboration with MoRTH would significantly elevate the quality and consistency of road safety audits across the country. The Federation has requested the ministry to provide an opportunity to undertake nationwide capacity building by empanelling IRF-IC for conducting the Road Safety.

—IANS

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