Coalition Leaders in India Meet with UN Special Envoy on Road Safety

From Left to to Right ( Dr Mohammed Asheel - National Professional Officer (Injury and Disability Prevention) - World Health Organization, Pankhuri Jain, Mr Jean Todt, Pradeep Patange,-Priti Gutam, Head of office and Advisor to the UN Special Envoy for Road Safety) 

Mumbai, India - Youth Coalition Members Pradeep Patange and Pankhuri Jain meet with United Nations Special Envoy on Road Safety Jean Todt in a Bilateral Meeting to represent youth in the region. 

The Meeting was an opportunity to share youth experiences regarding the road safety situation in the country. It also served as a cause to strengthen youth engagement in policymaking and decision-making. 

Pradeep and Pankhuri also discussed road safety awareness efforts through YOURS - Youth for Road Safety and the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety, emphasising the need to mobilise youth in India so that they become road safety champions themselves. They also shared the demands of youth around road safety and sustainable mobility, noting how the National Road Safety Council of India must meaningfully involve youth in efforts to address the road safety crisis. 

Jean Todt and Dr. Md Asheel Ahemad at the trauma centre of Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College in Mumbai and AIMS New Delhi | Photo from United Nations in India

Other suggestions shared with Jean Todt include the implementation of road safety education in higher schooling, the prioritisation of multi-modal transport, investment in youth-led initiatives that promote road safety and sustainable mobility, and the development of strategies that focus on decongesting roads that are high in traffic. 

“It was a great pleasure to meet Mr.Jean Todt, United Nations Secretary-General Special Envoy for road safety. [It was] a great opportunity to represent [young people] as a delegate from the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety.” - Pradeep Patange 

World Health Organization - WHO representative Dr. Md Asheel Ahemad was also present during the meeting to extend support to develop youth involvement in road safety efforts in the region. 

Jean Todt met with the youth leaders as part of his trip to India to meet various road safety stakeholders.