Islamabad – Information Technology (IT) Federal Minister Dr. Sania Nishtar said on Friday in a  conference on the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) that the proactive role of traffic related agencies, car manufacturers and telecom operators was integral for developing road safety solutions.

She said that technological advancements in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) field have created numerous opportunities for people around the world and this year’s theme for WTISD “ICTs and improving road safety” was very relevant to the growing traffic and road accidents problem.

IT Additional Secretary Muhammad Ijaz Mian said the government was collaborating with ITU for affordable access to ICT based services to bridge the digital gap in the country. He said ICT applications can play a vital role in collision avoidance and to minimize distractions for drivers by ICT owned services. “The IT ministry and ITU are striving to develop and utilize ICT infrastructure and applications for civic betterment”, he added.

Earlier speaking on the occasion Mr. Muhemmed Ahmed, CEO Ignite (Formerly National ICT R&D Fund), in his welcome address said that we at Ignite (Formerly National ICT R&D Fund) would encourage ideas that involve the usage of ICTs in improving Road safety, particularly traffic management through software and associated tools. We welcome all relevant stakeholders to interact with us and help identify potential areas where ICTs can play a crucial role in development of related indigenous systems and solutions.

WTISD is celebrated annually on May 17 to help raise awareness about the benefits of using the Internet and other ICT can bring to societies and economies.