Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said road safety needed collective effort and consistent awareness while addressing participants at the MP Sports Festival’s Run for Road Safety. The event was held at the Yamuna Sports Complex.
She said linking a public safety message with a youth sports event gave the campaign a stronger impact and wider reach.
The Chief Minister praised the initiative taken by the area’s MP and Minister of State Harsh Malhotra. She said sports competitions were an effective way to bring communities together and deliver important messages. She added that the format of a run made the idea of safe roads more relatable for young participants.
The Chief Minister said the discipline required in sports was similar to the discipline needed on the road. She said an athlete must stay focused, respect rules and follow the correct lane. She said the same principles applied while driving.
Any distraction, including mobile phone use, raised the risk of accidents. She said intoxication was dangerous in sports and even more dangerous on roads. She urged young people to treat driving as seriously as a competitive event.
The Chief Minister said sportsmanship and team spirit shaped character, and these values helped build a responsible and aware society. The Chief Minister told the participants that their presence sent a strong message. She said youth involvement was central to shaping a safe and modern Delhi. She also thanked the organising committee for using sports as a tool to spread awareness and added that events like this could change habits and encourage people to follow traffic rules.
She said that safe traffic behaviour formed the base of a developed and confident Delhi and urged participants to carry the message into their homes and neighbourhoods. She said simple actions like respecting speed limits, avoiding rash driving and staying sober behind the wheel saved lives.
The Chief Minister said she believed that repeated efforts through such events would create a deeper understanding of road safety and long-lasting awareness would come only when people saw road safety as a daily practice rather than a slogan. She expressed hope that the run would spark more community initiatives centred on public safety. She said a safer Delhi would emerge when awareness and discipline became common behaviour, just as they are in sports.