New Delhi: After highlighting causes of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in his films, like importance of toilet in Toilet- Ek Prem Katha and menstrual hygiene in upcoming PadMan, Actor Akshay Kumar will now support the cause of road safety. As the number of road accidents and fatalities continue unabated, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways plans to rope in celebrities to send across the message of road safety. The Ministry has requested Bollywood star to be the face of the road safety awareness campaign and it seems the actor has given his nod.
Speaking at a road safety awareness event, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said,
I have talked to Akshay Kumar and he said that he will fully cooperate with us. He said he will be our brand ambassador.
The Road Minister further talked about roping in influential people who can motivate and persuade riders to follow road safety rules and drive safely for their own well-being. He added,We will ask celebrities… so that they call upon people which will have a positive impact on the new generation.”
Speaking in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour, Minister Nitin Gadkari said,
1.46 lakh people lost their lives in 4.60 lakh road accidents across the country in the year 2017. There were 4.80 lakh road accidents in the country in 2016 in which 1.50 lakh people lost their lives, and in 2015, there were 5.01 lakh road accidents in which 1.46 lakh people were killed.
In a bid to change this situation and decrease the number of road fatalities, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has taken various steps such as establishing road safety information data base, encouraging safer road infrastructure, enforcement of safety laws. India plans to reduce the number of road fatalities by 50 per cent by 2020.
Earlier while talking about the plan to reduce the number of road accidents, Minister Nitin Gadkari said, transport ministry has undertaken Rs. 12,000 crore project to rectify black spots.
Also Read: Data-Based Methods Being Introduced To Ensure Road Safety And Regulate Traffic: Transport Minister
With inputs from PTI