Global Youth Coalition Member Feature: Amit Pothina

1. Where are you connected right now? Tell us about the work you're doing.
I am connected from Belgium right now and am currently associated with a couple of projects. The first one is #MovingSafe2HasseltUniversity which was recently selected as a local actions winner which received funding for its innovative efforts to improve sustainable mobility. The project was created by a bunch of international students at UHasselt including me to address the challenges faced by international students at the university.

The other project that I am involved with is the European Youth Energy Network (EYEN) where I volunteer as a policy analyst. It is a network of energy-focused youth organizations in Europe that find solutions to tackle the climate crisis. EYEN has collaborated with multiple nations to bridge the gap of youth-led energy organizations in policymaking at the European and national levels. 

2. How did you first get involved in road safety and how long have you been working in the road safety and sustainable mobility field? 
Before moving to Belgium to pursue a Master’s in Transportation Sciences, I was pursuing a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering in India. My dream job was to be a Formula 1 mechanic and to work in the pit crew. I took part in events where we built cars and raced with them on a national level. 

Soon, I realized I wanted to pursue a career in transportation systems and a multitude of factors led me to my Master’s in Transport. One is the fact that most of my classmates commuted to campus by bus and spent an average of 2-3 hours a day just for the commute.

I realized a lot of my classmates spend more time in the commute than on the campus because of the traffic congestion. It seemed unfair that cars with low occupancy were faster than sustainable modes of transport like buses and commuters in the latter were paying the price.

I spent the final few semesters working on projects to promote sustainable mobility and worked on a thesis to improve the safety of automobiles in the event of a crash. Thus, I have always been involved with mobility - it’s just that, after my undergrad, I pivoted from designing vehicles to planning transport networks.

3. Can you tell us a little bit about the road safety and sustainable mobility situation in your area? 
India holds the unenviable record of the second-highest number of road traffic deaths around the world. In the four years of my bachelor’s studies, I heard updates of at least one collegemate dying every year because of a road crash with dozens of others involved in non-fatal crashes. I was involved in three crashes for no fault of my own. Road crashes occur so often that they are normalized, and most people move on immediately. This mostly isn’t the case in Belgium. I’ve seen memorials built, candle marches held, and expeditious solutions created whenever a fatal road crash occurs. Last year, Oslo successfully reached Vision Zero (zero pedestrian and cyclist deaths) and in the coming years, I’m sure that the rest of the world will also follow suit.

4. Why do you think it's important to include young people in local and global road safety efforts? 
Young people are always said to be the voice of the future. This is probably why their voices are often not heard in the decisions made today. When a lot of policies affect youth, it only makes sense that the youth also have a say. Young people are equally capable to understand policies. It is the youngsters of today who are spearheading important movements like climate action, reduced inequalities, and other sustainable development goals.

Fred Kent, the co-founder of The Placemaking Fund, said “If you plan your cities for cars and traffic, you get cars and traffic” and that is exactly what is happening. Planners and policymakers must understand that widening a road is not the solution to curbing traffic but is rather a catalyst that attracts newer traffic. As a young transport planner, I find it important to develop cities designed to move people and not cars.

5. Why did you join the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety? 
I joined the coalition because I finally found a platform that was enabling youth participation in policymaking at the highest level. I became a member at the end of 2019 and was invited to attend the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference for Road Safety in Sweden as a young leader for road safety from India in 2020. I got to interact with ministers and delegates from all parts of the world including the Indian minister for Road Transport and Highways. 

6. What are your comments on the Coalition? Its activities? Its opportunities?
Well, answering why I joined the coalition was quite straight forward but why I remained in the space for almost 2 years makes a more intriguing answer. We held youth consultations before the 3rd Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Sweden. We put together a youth statement highlighting the expectations and promises of youth for road safety. I was pleasantly surprised when this statement was read at the conference in front of all the dignitaries. We could see that our work was being valued. Even with the pandemic going, the Coalition members were offered regular training in a wide range of topics like designing safe streets, prioritizing pedestrians, and many other workshops. Campaigns, networking, and events are conducted actively. Funding for our project #MovingSafe2HasseltUniversity was an outcome of one of the competitions held.

7. Any messages for people who have not yet joined the coalition? 
If you are a young person with a dire need to shape the future of road safety, you must join the coalition regardless of your experience in the field. It is a great space to be in with some of the most enthusiastic and resourceful people I know. Come join the coalition and decide for yourself.