NHAI, Jio Sign MoU to Deliver Road Safety Alerts to Users

• NHAI and Jio launch highway safety alerts for accident-prone and risk zones
• Alerts sent via SMS, WhatsApp, calls, and integrated with ‘Rajmargyatra’ app
• Uses existing towers for quick rollout, plans to include other telecom providers

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in conjunction with Reliance Jio, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop and implement an advanced new system to send mobile phone safety alerts to travellers on India's National Highways.

Safety alerts will notify Jio customers via SMS alert texts and push notifications if they are about to enter an area identified as having increased risk for accidents, such as accident-prone areas, areas where livestock or cattle may roam freely, and areas where visibility may be compromised due to fog.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways expects that this will lead to a significant increase in awareness among commuters travelling on India’s National Highways and will therefore reduce the number of accidents that could have been prevented if commuters had been provided with appropriate information prior to entering those areas.

“The initiative aims to strengthen road-safety by providing timely information to national highway users, enabling them to adjust speed and driving behaviour well in advance”, the ministry stated.

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The NHAI will pursue similar agreements with other mobile telecommunications service providers in order to expand the reach of this initiative.

To deliver safety alerts to highway users in a timely manner, SMS, WhatsApp, and high priority voice calls will be utilized as a method of communication. These methods will eventually be added into NHAI's existing digital platforms and used in conjunction with Rajmargyatra and the 1033 emergency phone line.

These safety alerts will use the existing cellular network of mobile telephone operating companies, so deploying this technology can happen very quickly and does not require building additional towers.

NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav said, “This initiative marks an important step forward in providing timely and reliable information to commuters, enabling them to make informed decisions and adopt safer driving practices well in advance”.

Additionally, this initiative will take advantage of Jio's large digital network which currently provides service to more than 500 million subscribers, by providing live information about potential hazards on the highway and increasing highway safety across India.