BANGALORE, November 15, 2017 – International Road Assessment Programme, a registered charity dedicated to preventing road deaths through safer road infrastructure, in association with FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company and a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), today announced the launch of the Indian Road Assessment Programme (IndiaRAP), in New Delhi.
The IndiaRAP programme aims to address the highest risk roads around the country in partnership with national and state agencies. The programme will be led by local experts, using local research and resources, supported by the global International Road Assessment Programme that includes partners in more than 80 countries.
“The India chapter of International Road Assessment Programme will bring together government, investment, research and NGO partners from across the country,” said Rob McInerney, chief executive officer, International Road Assessment Programme. “Thanks to the support from FedEx Express, we are proud to establish IndiaRAP, which will be hosted by the Asian Institute of Transport Development (AITD). Local leadership is the key to life-saving success in all of our partnerships across 80 countries worldwide. As India invests in large-scale road upgrades across the country, maximizing the safety of this investment will deliver strong transport, health and economic benefits.”
IndiaRAP will provide policy, performance tracking and investment tools for governments to measure and manage road safety infrastructure and optimize investments across the country. The IndiaRAP team will also build local capacity and expertise by connecting Indian road safety experts with colleagues from around the world.
The programme will be guided by the International Road Assessment Programme’s evidence-based Star Rating methodology and investment planning tools which provide a simple and objective measure of the level of safety which is ‘built-in’ to the road for vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians. Five-star roads are the safest while one-star roads are the least safe.
“IndiaRAP will seek to eliminate one- and two-star unsafe roads and to become a leader in promoting the design and construction of brand new five-star safe and smart motorways in the country,” added McInerney.
“‘Safety above all’ is a core FedEx belief and, we are committed towards sharing our safety expertise and global reach to make our roads safer. As one of India’s leading transportation companies, we are proud to support the launch of IndiaRAP,” said Hemant Pimplikar, managing director of Sales for FedEx Express in India. “FedEx is also a key supporter of the UN Road Safety Collaboration and the Global Alliance of Non-governmental Organizations advocating for road safety and road accident victims.”
FedEx support for all these projects is part of the FedEx Cares initiative, involving FedEx team members from around the world volunteering their time and talents to support local communities. FedEx will invest $200 million in more than 200 communities by 2020 to create opportunities and deliver positive change around the world.
The establishment of IndiaRAP builds on a series of road assessment projects that have been completed since 2010 in collaboration with various organisations including global institutions, government agencies, public works departments, research institutes, local engineering firms and automobile associations to assess the safety of Indian Roads. To date, International Road Assessment Programme teams have undertaken star rating assessments on more than 10,000 km of roads, across several states in India.
“We are excited to host the programme and as an independent, not-for-profit organization focused on capacity building, research and regional cooperation in the infrastructure sector, we are well placed to lead the partnerships needed to make roads safer,” said K L Thapar, AITD chairman. “IndiaRAP will play an important role in mobilizing the scale and results needed to meet national road safety targets. With project level activity across several states, the national programme will bring together all the partners with a single focus on improving the safety of road infrastructure across India.”
About International Road Assessment Programme
International Road Assessment Programme is a registered charity with the vision for a world free of high-risk roads. The charity is dedicated to preventing global road deaths by working with development institutions, motoring clubs and road authorities to shape billions of dollars of investment in infrastructure with a focus on safety for all road users—pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and vehicle occupants. Please visit http://www.irap.org/
About FedEx Express
FedEx Express is the world’s largest express transportation company, providing fast and reliable delivery to more than 220 countries and territories. FedEx Express uses a global air-and-ground network to speed delivery of time-sensitive shipments, by a definite time and date with a money-back guarantee.
About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $61 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 400,000 team members to remain “absolutely, positively” focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit about.fedex.com.
About Asian Institute of Transport Development (AITD)
AITD is an independent, not-for-profit organization devoted to capacity building, non-partisan research and regional cooperation in the infrastructure sector with a special focus on transport, trade and logistics. The Institute aims at promoting balanced, efficient, equitable and sustainable development. It also fosters regional cooperation and partnership, promotes human resource development and harmonisation of technologies for enhancing welfare. The United Nations Economic and Social Council has granted AITD a special consultative status. http://www.aitd.net.in/