AMN / NEW DELHI

Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari expressed concern over the increase in road accidents by four per cent in the last five years. He said that extensive awarness on road safety is important.

He was addressing the Road Safety Stakeholders’ Meet in New Delhi. Mr Gadkari said, World Bank and Asian Development Bank have approved seven thousand crore rupees each to remove black spots and enhance road safety.

Speaking on the occasion, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called for all concerned stakeholders to work in coordination to reduce number of road accidents in the country.

Around four lakh 50 thousand road accidents took place every year, in which over 1.5 lakh people lost their lives. Mr Singh said, the country loses two per cent of GDP due to road accidents, which is a matter of concern.

On the occasion, the Defence Minister awarded Tamil Nadu, as the best performing state in reducing road accident.