On Wednesday, Chief of Indian Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, Sitaram Yechury, presented a report at a press conference in New Delhi.

Yechury’s report - "The National Road Safety and Traffic Management Board Bill"- addresses road transport and safety, aiming to lessen national road accidents.

[Sitaram Yechury, Chief, Indian Parliamentary Standing Committee--Transport, Tourism and Culture]: (male, English)
"The main issue is that this bill was relating to the establishment of a 'National Road Safety and Traffic Management Board' to take care of the growing accidents on the roads of the country."

Yechury says India’s social cost of road accidents is among the highest globally.

[Sitaram Yechury, Chief, Indian Parliamentary Standing Committee--Transport, Tourism and Culture]: (male, English)
"The Planning Commission study conducted some years ago had estimated that the social cost of the road accidents of India is as high as three percent of our GDP, and this is one of the highest ratios in the world.”

The committee is concerned about road safety in India and want roads to be better than international standards.

Yechury says to achieve results, technical issues must be well assessed and road services improved.

Yechury's report is significant, especially because the Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in New Delhi in October 2010.

Delhi's traffic situation is generally bad. With overcrowded roads, commuters and pedestrians find it hard to get about.

Every year, between 150,000 and 200,000 people are killed in road accidents in India.