IIT-Madras to work with Odisha govt. to improve road safety in State

IIT Madras partners with Odisha government to improve road safety through data-driven interventions and innovative solutions.

The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras’ RBG Labs has partnered with the Odisha government to improve road safety in the State.

The Odisha government will adopt a data-driven approach as part of its mission to reduce fatalities through evidence-driven interventions. 

The RBG lab has developed a ‘5E model and transportation safety framework’ that encompasses engineering, education, enforcement, and emergency care with focus on human factors. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed recently between the institute and the Commerce and Transport department of the State.

Minister for Commerce and Transport Bhibhuti Bhusan Jena said the initiatives under the MoU would focus on creating long-term solutions to address road safety issues. Institute director V. Kamakoti said IIT-Madras was relentlessly working on innovative, technology-driven solutions to address the complexities of road safety. The institute’s schemes had been implemented in Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Rajasthan, he said.

Head of RBG Labs Venkatesh Balasubrmanian said the capacity-building programmes envisaged would equip stakeholders in that State with practical skills for on-field data collection, collation, and analysis to communicate their hypothesis effectively and strategise actionable interventions.