Project aims to transform 65-km stretch of NH-48 passing through Vadodara into ‘Zero Fatality Corridor’

3 min readVadodaraJun 21, 2026 02:18 PM IST

Officials said the corridor would serve as a pilot model for road safety interventions, with plans ranging from infrastructure improvements and better signage to long-term redesign of accident-prone stretches.

IN A bid to drastically reduce road deaths on one of Gujarat’s busiest highways, authorities have launched an ambitious plan to transform a 65-kilometre stretch of National Highway-48 passing through Vadodara into a ‘Zero Fatality Corridor’ – a model road safety zone where engineering upgrades, strict enforcement and rapid emergency response will work together to save lives.

The initiative forms part of a larger effort to make the Aravalli to Valsad stretch of NH48 safer and reduce accident-related fatalities across the state. The project was formally launched in Vadodara in the presence of Vadodara MP Dr Hemang Joshi and Commissioner of Police, Vadodara City, Narasimha Komar.

Officials said the corridor would serve as a pilot model for road safety interventions, with plans ranging from infrastructure improvements and better signage to long-term redesign of accident-prone stretches. The project will be implemented through coordinated efforts of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Roads and Buildings Department, Vadodara Municipal Corporation, non-governmental organisations, public representatives and local communities located along the highway.

Komar said the project rests on four key pillars – engineering, enforcement, emergency response and public awareness. While engineering measures will focus on improving road design and infrastructure, enforcement agencies will intensify efforts to ensure compliance with traffic rules. Public awareness campaigns will seek to encourage safer driving behaviour among motorists.

A major focus of the initiative will be improving trauma care during the “golden hour” following accidents. To facilitate this, around 30 private hospitals have been integrated into the programme alongside government hospitals. Authorities said accident victims transported through the 108 and 112 emergency response systems will be eligible for cashless treatment, ensuring that delays in medical care do not cost lives.

The administration is also targeting accident-prone “black spots” along the highway. Joint operations involving police and other government agencies are underway to remove encroachments, eliminate traffic bottlenecks and implement corrective measures at locations that have witnessed repeated crashes, Komar said.

Addressing the launch event, Joshi urged motorists to treat road safety as a personal responsibility. “Following traffic rules not only benefits the nation but protects our own families first,” he said, while appealing to citizens to make road safety practices a part of their daily lives.