Pressing against the urgent need to improve road safety on the scenic Mumbai-Pune expressway (MPEW) and other similar roads in India, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. have collaborated with SaveLIFE Foundation and Maharashtra State Road Development to come out with the “Safety under 80 campaign” which focuses on the making the MPEW a Zero Fatality Corridor.
“Safety Under 80” basically talks about the dangers of speeding. This initiative is expected to reduce the number of road crash fatalities on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway (MPEW) from an annual average of 130 to 0 by the year 2020. It is a pioneering attempt to build a replicable model for road safety that can be implemented across any road in the country.
The Zero Fatality Corridor (ZFC) is an initiative that was launched in 2014 when Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) signed an MOU with SaveLIFE Foundation. Subsequently in 2016 a historic MOU was signed by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Ltd (MSRDC), SaveLIFE Foundation and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. which formally launched the ZFC initiative that works on the 4Es of Road Safety, Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Emergency Care to create MPEW as a Zero Death corridor.
The campaign was officially launched by Radheshyam Mopalwar IAS, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, MSRDC in the presence of Captain Abhay Lambhate, General Manager – Administration & CSR (Automotive & Farm Equipment Sector (AFS), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) and Piyush Tewari, Founder and CEO, SaveLIFE Foundation at the Khalapur Food Plaza.
Radheshyam Mopalwar stated that, “People need to know that speeding is dangerous. As part of MSRDC’s endeavour to ensure safety of commuters on the MPEW, we have under the Zero Fatality Corridor initiative, made significant progress on all fronts. This campaign which targets speeding is part of that continuing effort and aims to make the expressway safe for all.”
Vijay Nair, Vice President – Admin & CSR (AFS) & Employee Relations (Auto Division) M&M said, “At Mahindra safety and caring for society is a way of life. We have initiated several programs across the country, and believe that a project like the ZFC has a far reaching impact. We hope to help in creating India’s 1st Zero Death Corridor. This is one of the many ways we enable people to Rise.”
Talking about the campaign, Saji Cherian, Director, Operations of SaveLIFE Foundation, said, “Although the speed limit on the expressway is 80km/hr, we know that adherence to it is quite minimal. Through this campaign, we want to remind the commuters that speeding has serious consequences and encourage people to be more responsible while driving.”
As per the Analysis of Road Accidents in India, 2015 report by Ministry of Road transport and Highways, more than 60,00 people lose their lives and estimated 2,50,00 are injured in road crashes in India in 2015 alone
