Kia India launches Phase II of ‘Buckle Up’ road safety programme

Kia India has rolled out Phase II of its ‘Buckle Up’ road safety initiative in partnership with The Social Lab Foundation (TSL), under the aegis of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The new phase was inaugurated in New Delhi by Ajay Tamta, Minister of State for MoRTH, where Kia India and TSL also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand the programme.

Phase I focused on infrastructure and awareness

The first phase of the initiative ran from February 2024 to February 2026 in collaboration with the Gurugram Traffic Police. It focused on improving road safety infrastructure and spreading awareness among students.

As part of the programme, around 750 crash barriers were installed at high-risk locations across Gurugram. Road safety education programmes were also conducted in 100 schools, reaching nearly 32,000 students.

Phase II to expand outreach

Phase II is scheduled to run from April 2026 to March 2028 and expand the initiative to Delhi–NCR and Uttarakhand. The programme aims to engage around 20,000 students across 100 colleges through driving simulators and experiential learning modules designed to highlight real-world road risks.

The initiative will also include the installation of additional crash barriers at high-risk locations in Gurugram and along the Delhi–Uttarakhand highway corridor, as well as online and on-ground awareness campaigns.

Speaking at the event, Ajay Tamta highlighted the importance of collaboration between government and industry in strengthening road safety efforts across the country.

On the progression of the initiative, Atul Sood, SVP - Sales & Marketing at Kia India, said, “At Kia India, safety is a fundamental pillar of our mobility vision, extending beyond our vehicles to the communities we serve. ‘Buckle Up’ reflects our long-term commitment to creating safer mobility ecosystems through infrastructure enhancement and sustained behavioural change initiatives. With Phase II, we are scaling our efforts to reach young and first-time drivers while strengthening on-ground safety interventions. Through this initiative, we are proud to support the Government of India’s vision of safer roads and contribute meaningfully towards building a stronger culture of road safety across communities."

Commenting on the occasion, Apoorva Sharma, Executive Director of TSL Foundation, said, “Our collaboration with Kia India in Phase I laid a strong operational foundation through targeted infrastructure and school-level engagement. With Phase II, we are building on these learnings to scale the programme across new geographies and age groups, further strengthening its impact through structured, experiential road safety interventions."

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