IRTE and Castrol join hands to promote Road Safety in India

Release date: 06 January 2005

Organise international workshops to focus on road safety issues

New Delhi, January 06, 2005 – Castrol India Limited, one of India’s largest lubricant companies and Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE), a premier Non Government Organisation engaged in sensitising and educating the masses, private and public sector organisations and government authorities about the growing menace of road collisions in the country and the ways to control it, today announced their joint initiatives to help enhance road safety in India, commemorating the ongoing 16th National Road Safety Week (January 03-09, 2005).

The initiatives include two International Workshops at New Delhi, which are sponsored by Castrol and supported by the Ministry of Shipping Road Transport & Highways, Government of India. The first conference scheduled for January 07, 2005, Ideal Highway Patrol Systems for Developing Countries, will focus on the impending need for developing nations to develop an effective highway patrol system. The second workshop scheduled for January 08, 2005, Reducing Accident Injuries through Helmets and Seat Belts, will focus on the need to have stringent rules in place for usage of protective headgear while riding a two-wheeler. Deliberations on laying down the standards for manufacturing of such headgear will also be a part of this workshop.

Said Mr. Rohit Baluja, President, IRTE, “We are overwhelmed by the response to the invitations to both workshops and have received large number of confirmations for attendance from various state police and traffic departments in India and international experts in this field. This is a testimony to the fact that the critical issue of road safety is being taken up extremely seriously now, which is indeed a good sign. IRTE needs support from both the government and the corporate sector to enable our continued war against road collisions”.

Mr. Naveen Kshatriya, Managing Director, Castrol India Limited and Regional Vice President for BP Lubricants, Transcon Region, said, “BP is committed to the cause of road safety. The safety of our employees, contractors and the public at large is an absolute priority. Our reputation and more importantly, people’s lives depend on it. That is why we have an uncompromising goal, which simply stated is – “no accidents, no harm to people, and no damage to the environment. At Castrol India we have taken several initiatives towards propagating road safety amongst our staff as well as the general public and the sponsorship of these two workshops is one more step in our efforts to promote the cause of road safety in India”.

The Workshops are also supported by the FIA Foundation UK, Road Safe UK, World Road Safety Network, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) UK, ITC the Netherlands, Haryana Highway Patrol & Road Safety and Delhi Police.

Castrol is also presenting sponsor for the IRTE & Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards 2004, which will be presented by Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi, to four Indian and four international achievers for their exemplary work in promotion of road safety in their particular countries/regions. The award ceremony is scheduled for the evening of January 07, 2005 and will also feature the presence of various national and international dignitaries including Mr. Marc Runacres, Deputy British High Commissioner.