Date:16/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/16/stories/2006101601430200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Code of conduct to ensure road safety

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: More than one hundred transport companies and members of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Karnataka, have come together to adopt a voluntary code of conduct for road safety.

A memorandum of understanding was recently signed between Shell India and the Global Road Safety Partnership with the CII, Karnataka, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers and the All-India Motor Transport Congress promoting road safety in commercial sector.

Developed and tested by Shell and GSRP through a pilot project, the code covers issues concerned with road safety, including development of in-house management systems, driver management, vehicle management and journey management. Chairman of Shell Group of Companies in India Vikram Singh Mehta said the initiative was scaled up on the success of the pilot project. CII, Karnataka chairman, S. Gopalakrishnan said, "We are fully committed to work towards road safety and setting standards in the transportation sector." The transporters have vowed to define duty hours and weekly off for drivers; ensure rest breaks of minimum 20 minutes after every four hours; ensure use of safety belts and no driving under influence of alcohol.

Shell has taken up the initiative as part of its social responsibility with over one lakh road accident deaths occurring in the country every year. Road accidents will become the third leading cause of the global disease burden by 2020.