
Govts focus should be on zero road fatalities: Ajay Tamta
New Delhi, Jun 12 (PTI) The issue of road safety is very important, and the government's focus should be on working towards zero road fatalities, Minister of State for Highways Ajay Tamta said on Thursday.
Addressing the National Summit on VRUs & Road Safety, Tamta said the government should work on ideas to reduce road fatalities.
Also speaking at the event, UN Special Envoy for Road Safety Jen Todt called road crashes a silent pandemic and emphasized the urgent need to protect vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
Citing over 154,000 road fatalities in India in 2021, he stressed that while not every crash is avoidable, many are and those who die are often young people, daily commuters, and sole breadwinners.
A key highlight of the event was the launch of 'Road Safety Paathshaala', a road safety module developed by TRAX for children aged 8 to 13 years. PTI BKS HVA
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


News18
10 hours ago
- News18
Sri Lanka starts issuing temporary driving license to tourists at airport
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Colombo, Aug 3 (PTI) Sri Lanka on Sunday launched a programme to issue temporary driving licenses to tourists at the international airport. 'Foreign tourists and even Sri Lankan visitors to the country, who are not dual citizens, would be issued these licenses valid for a month," Kamal Amarasinghe, the chief of the Motor Traffic Department, said here. The tourists getting these temporary licenses would, however, be not eligible to drive heavy vehicles and three wheeler tuk-tuks, Amarasingha said. Currently, any tourists could have obtained a license at the Department's Colombo suburban facility following the due process, he said, adding, the new arrangement is a more swift process where tourists can self drive. PTI CORR NPK NPK First Published: August 03, 2025, 20:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


News18
11 hours ago
- News18
Piaggio expects L5 electric 3-wheeler penetration to reach 50pc by mid-2028
Mumbai, Aug 3 (PTI) Small commercial vehicle maker Piaggio Vehicles is expecting L5 electric three-wheeler segment penetration in the domestic market reaching 50 per cent at the most by mid-2028, owing to a structural shift and other factors, a top company official has said. The company, which last month rolled out two new electric passenger three-wheelers — the all-new Ape E-City Ultra and upgraded Ape FX Maxx- also said there is a need for the government to provide clarity on the issue of continuation of the incentives. Piaggio Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd (PVPL) is the Indian subsidiary of Italian auto major Piaggio Group. 'There is a spike in the penetration of L5 category electric three wheelers in the country in the last one-and-a-half years. And this is when the government incentives under the FAME program have reduced to one-fourth in the same period," Diego Graffy, Chairman and Managing Director of PVPL, told PTI in an interaction. He said that if the level of penetration continues at this pace, 'we expect this to reach 50 per cent by the end of 2027 or the beginning of mid-2028 even if the incentives are withdrawn, as there is a structural shift taking place in the market." There are two categories– L5 and L3– in the electric three-wheeler segment. L5 Category refers to three-wheeler auto-rickshaws for carrying passengers or cargo while e-carts fall in L3 category. The second phase of the government's flagship scheme, Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME), launched in 2019 with an initial outlay of Rs 10,000 crore, later increased to Rs 11,500 crore, ended in March last year. Subsequently, a new PM E-Drive Scheme with an outlay of Rs 10,900 crore for two years to boost EV sales, replacing FAME programme was announced in September 2024. 'The Government reducing the subsidy to one-fourth in the last one-and-a-half years could have definitely been a big disruption (in terms of demand) but instead of depressing the market, it has only kept on increasing. It means that the change or the shift that is happening now is structural and not anymore incidental. And this shift is happening for multiple reasons," Graffy said. Apart from the structural shift, the factors for the higher penetration include improved charging infra, lower cost of acquisition and ease of financing and servicing. 'These challenges have largely been addressed in this period leading to increased penetration, particularly of the passenger segment," he said. According to industry statistics, L5 passenger electric three-wheeler penetration accounted for 22.8 per cent in the total EV sales in FY 25 while the goods e-three-wheeler penetartion stood at 21.5 per cent in the same period. Also, in the April-June quarter of this fiscal, as much as 32.4 per cent of the total ev penetration was recorded in the passenger e-three wheeler segment and 22.8 per cent in the cargo e-three-wheeler segment. Graffy said that the adoption rate across Southern and Western parts of the country however, is still much lower, adding that, it is expected to increase in the next couple of years and when it happens, the overall penetration rate would go much higher than 50 per cent." He said that the e-commerce transition was leading to the demand for cargo e-three-wheelers, which is on the wane now while the passenger segment is picking up very rapidly due to the reason cited earlier. Due to a structural transition that we see, now the passenger segment will have a much higher rate of adoption in the next few months, he stated. He said that Piaggio Vehicles is 'maintaining" more or less the pace at which the industry is growing, adding that the company keeps on renewing its product portfolio every two years since 2019 when it first introduced its e-three-wheeler in the country. 'We are not doing (renewing products) so frequently unlike many other players are doing in the space. We prefer to take our time. So, we are reviving our products every two years trying to introduce new features with innovation and technology," he said. 'We believe EVs are an opportunity to reshape urban transport and improve livelihoods. New Apé E-City Ultra and Apé E-City FX Maxx are being built with these realities in mind. They deliver what the Indian customer needs: best in class range, low battery degradation, strong performance, and minimal operating costs," Graffy said on the launch of the two models, which are priced at Rs 3.80-lakh and Rs 3.30 lakh, respectively. top videos View all 'These vehicles are enablers of economic mobility, future-ready solutions that can scale across cities and small towns alike. Our focus is not only on innovation but also on contributing to a more inclusive and sustainable future," he said. On the incentives, he said," uncertainty on (the continuation) of the incentives is definitely very disturbing and some clarity going forward is required." 'Even if the government wants the incentives to discontinue from a particular date, declare it clearly so that every OEM can plan the strategy accordingly," Graffy said. PTI IAS MR MR (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 03, 2025, 20:00 IST News agency-feeds Piaggio expects L5 electric 3-wheeler penetration to reach 50pc by mid-2028 Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


Hans India
2 days ago
- Hans India
Govt sanctions Rs 11 cr for repairing Ram Jhula bridge
Rishikesh: The Uttarakhand government has sanctioned Rs 11 crore for repairing the famous Ram Jhula suspension bridge in Rishikesh, an official said on Friday. Built over River Ganga in 1986, the iconic bridge has been closed for two wheelers since August, 2023 and only a limited number of pedestrians were allowed on it since then. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has sanctioned Rs 11 crore for the repair and maintenance work of the bridge, Uttarakhand's forest minister Subodh Uniyal told PTI. 'Tenders for the maintenance work of the bridge will be floated in 10 days. The maintenance work will be completed in the next six months. After that this bridge will be completely safe for the public,' he said.