The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) has proudly announced India’s Himachal Pradesh Road and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HPRIDCL) as a “Shining Star” in the 2024 iRAP Gary Liddle Memorial Trophy in Marrakech today, presented to the world’s best performing road authority/s eliminating high-risk roads.

Presented during the Ten Steps to 2030 for Safer Road Infrastructure Side Event of the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, the perpetual iRAP Trophy honours the lifelong public-sector and transport contribution of the charity’s former Board Chairman Gary Liddle AO who passed away in 2023.

Road crash data from 2018 to 2022, published by the Government of India, shows a 17 per cent decline in the number of road fatalities recorded in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

HPRIDCL leveraged iRAP tools, including Star Ratings and Safer Roads Investment Plans, to assess over 7,000 kilometres of state roads, identifying high-risk corridors and informing a five-year action plan for prioritized safety improvements across 16 critical corridors.

With the support of co-funding from the World Bank and the state government, they rolled out a series of comprehensive road safety initiatives, including infrastructure upgrades, engineering interventions, implementation of HP-RADMS for crash data collection, AI-based traffic enforcement, training of more than 5,000 engineers and police, and community-driven programs.

HPRIDCL’s road safety initiatives reflect a holistic, collaborative effort working closely with the World Bank, TRL, Himachal Pradesh Police, the Public Works Department, local agencies, and community volunteers.

In presenting the award, iRAP Global Program Director and Acting CEO Greg Smith said, “The Himachal Pradesh Road and Infrastructure Development Corporation was awarded a “shining star” for its exceptional leadership in leveraging iRAP methodologies to significantly enhance road safety and save lives across the state. The authority has achieved impressive scale and success in delivering road upgrades using a holistic evidence-based road safety action plan with life-saving impact. Their approach is well prioritised, with a long-term commitment to funding, strong outreach to local stakeholders, capacity building, and use of advanced technologies for road safety. A significant reduction in crashes has been achieved, especially on critical state corridors.”

The initiatives undertaken by HPRIDCL provide a replicable model for other states and regions, particularly in development contexts and mountainous locations.

The iRAP Gary Liddle Memorial Trophy was presented to one winner and four finalists during the Ten Steps to 2030 for Safer Road Infrastructure Event, a Side Event of the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety on 17 February 2025. The winners were selected from 12 highly competitive nominations from 11 countries.

For more information:

• On the Trophy and 2024 winners, click here.
• On HPRIDCL’s road safety program, click here.
• Hear Er. Pawan Kumar Sharma, Director of Projects, discuss HPRIDCL’s award-winning initiatives here

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Download the full media release here

Media enquiries:

For iRAP:
Judy Williams, Global Programme and Communications Manager
Email:   judy.williams@irap.org
Mob:     +61 400 782 204

For HPRIDCL:
Eng. Pawan Kumar Sharma
Director of Projects
Email:   pdsrp-hp@nic.in
Tel:        (+91) 9418162973