Delhi - Jaipur highway in India. Credit: Dinesh Bareja.

Global taxi technology company Uber has collaborated with the Government of India’s Ministry for Road Transport and Highways to build road awareness in the country.

Under the collaboration, Uber will jointly promote road safety messaging on its app and also on social media through the ministry’s co-branded materials and mediums, reported media sources.

Multiple advertisements and videos will also be prepared and disseminated to propagate prevention of drunk driving, as well as encourage the usage of rear seat belts and hands on the wheel during driving.

The road safety campaign will be conducted throughout India.

Indian Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari was quoted by media sources as saying: “Ensuring road safety is a key priority for the government as India witnesses around five lakh accidents and 1.5 lakh deaths every year.

“Ensuring road safety is a key priority for the government as India witnesses around five lakh accidents and 1.5 lakh deaths every year.”

“We are committed to reducing fatal road accidents by 50% by 2020, being a signatory to the UN Decade of action for road safety.”

Gadkari further added that the effort to make the country’s roads safer will need the involvement of policymakers, civic authorities, automobile industry, civil society and commuters in general.

Both parties also agreed to jointly develop learning aids and informational tools to enhance the driver training programme currently conducted in the driving schools across the country.

The kit is expected to be utilised by more than 200 driving schools, including many government drivers training institutes across India.