Implementation, Integration, Performance Standards…

Parampreet Singh
Director, Avantech Engineering Consortium Pvt. Ltd.

While the aspect like ride quality of roads is easily identifiable by a common user, the importance of road safety products becomes evident only when an actual crash takes place. Even then, the blame of the crash is usually shifted on to the driver and the performance of the road safety products is not questioned. This makes it easy for the suppliers to get away with a substandard products.
The Indian Roads Congress has taken a positive approach and has updated its standards that now specify and insist on performance based specifications as followed world over. This is a new concept and is not well understood by most and there is a need to educate all stakeholders about the performance based selection and use of road safety products.

There is also a need to accept the fact that to improve our dismal road safety records, we have to stop thinking of road safety as a cost. It is an investment India needs.

Rahul Saini
Director
BDI Group

We work closely with almost all the road contractors in the country. There are positive signs that we are moving towards a systematic approach for ensuring safety to all. Till now there has been a certain degree of insular thinking, which has resulted in India being amongst the top countries for most deaths due to road accidents. However, with the recent influx of foreign investment in the road sector, the government is bringing about a movement to ensure safety as per international norms. This is making the companies more aware about the need for such safety systems.

While a system provider ensures the system matches the safety requirement stated and required, to create awareness, a far greater level of involvement is required at all levels.

Our products are plastic road barricades, cones, delineators etc. The shift from using conventional techniques of metal barricades to plastic barricades is definitely coming but the transition is slow. All developed economies and progressive countries have shifted to plastic barricades and they are the standard norms in these countries because of the convenience they offer in terms of handling and usage. In India, the shift is happening and the impetus in infrastructure is really helping. However, if real change is to be witnessed, the push needs to come from the top.

Certain world class technologies are available in India through various international companies and their local counterparts in India. However, acceptance of these technologies is very minuscule given the scale at which India is expanding its infrastructure. It is of paramount importance for lawmakers to think about value addition that these superior technologies bring to the Indian roads rather than the cost at which they come.