Akshay Kumar dons traffic cop role in road safety campaign

Akshay Kumar

The Road Transport ministry has roped in Akshay Kumar as a brand ambassador for its road safety awareness campaign and released three videos featuring the Bollywood actor as traffic police inspector cracking down on violators. The videos have Akshay, who is currently also promoting his new movie 'Gold', telling the traffic violators - Ye Sadak Kisi Ke Baap Ki Nahi Hai (Road is not their personal property). The 'Padman' star along with Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari launched the videos made to impact the psyche of traffic violators.

The actor said he wanted to do something "unusual" to impact the psyche of the people and as his contribution to the nation, he came out with powerful video messages full of pun that make it clear that no one has the right to violate traffic rules.

Also, to encourage people to help accident victims, Gadkari said, "Now bravery awards by the Home Ministry would also have a category of good samaritans, who help accident vicitms."

Gadkari said he was pained to see "more people killed on Indian roads than in any war" and the department roped in the actor, who without any monetary benefits worked for the ministry. "We wanted to give a powerful message to the people as about 65 per cent of accident victims falls in the age group of 18-35 years," he said.

It is a matter of serious concern that India accounts for 5 lakh accidents annually, the highest in the world, in which 1.5 lakh people lose their lives every year, the minister said and added he could very well understand that plight of victims of road accident as he too had suffered it without any fault and lost one year being bedridden. The minister said unfortunately the Road Safety Bill, despite being passed by the Lok Sabha and cleared by the Select Committee could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha. He expressed hope that the bill would get Parliament's nod next year.

He said once the Act is in place, it will not only tighten the noose round traffic offenders but also curb issuance of fake driving licences as in India "about 30 per cent licences are fake".

He said the bill aims at bringing widespread reforms in the transport sector and rued that it has become a trend that people have no respect or fear of traffic laws.

Also, the minister said that his Ministry has written to education department of all states to include road safety in the curriculum. Gadkari said the government has decided to depute ambulances equipped with four stretchers, ECG and oxygen etc facilities with trained staff at accident-prone areas.

He said there has been a four per cent decline in accidents but this was insignificant. Road Transport and Highways Secretary YS Mallik said the scenario in India is such that apart from driving skills "one needed skills to save oneself from people who don't know driving but are on the roads" as India is one country where driving licences were available easily. Akshay Kumar, the national award winning actor has been doing films like 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha' and 'Padman' that focus on social issues.

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Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from PTI