The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Association of Road Users of Pakistan were among the winners of prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards at a ceremony hosted by the Indian Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) in Delhi. The ABD, which has led a road safety strategy in the region which has raised the profile of road safety within the Bank and amongst governments, culminating in a Ministerial Declaration on Road Safety by ASEAN region governments in December 2004, was represented by Charles Meluish, the ABD’s transport specialist.
The Awards ceremony was attended by Sheila Dikshit, the Chief Minister of Delhi; Marc Runacres, Deputy British High Commissioner to India; and Dhanendra Kumar, Indian Government Secretary for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways. In his message to the awards, Prince Michael of Kent said; ‘The true global significance of the importance of road safety, especially in the area of child death and injury, has yet to be embraced by governments in much of the developing world. These awards will do much to reinforce the need for action’.
Other award winners included the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT), a US road safety organisation, and the Association for the Study of Spinal and Medular Injury, based in Spain. A number of individuals, including Indian police officers, who have made a contribution to road safety were also recognised. The FIA Foundation’s Deputy Director, Saul Billingsley, was a member of the judging panel for the awards.