If you are a civil engineering student with interest in roads, you can get a chance to be a road safety auditor. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is coming up with an add-on course in colleges for students to become a Road Safety Auditor, officials aware of the matter told News18.

The curriculum is ready and the proposal has been shared with the Ministry of Education for MoUs, an official said, requesting anonymity.

“The students pursuing engineering courses (3rd and 4th years) will be taught about road safety in colleges. This will be started with IITs first but will be for all the engineering colleges, including the private ones. The course will allow the students to be a road safety auditor,” the official said.

The official further said the focus will be on the civil engineering students because it is a related field. “Most likely, it will be introduced in the next academic year,” said another official.

The course is important because there is a shortage of road safety auditors in the country, the official said.

At present, IIT Roorkee is offering a 15-day Road Safety Auditors Certification Course in association with the ministry and the Indian Roads Congress (IRC). It is for engineers, consultants, practitioners and researchers with a civil engineering background.

The Road Safety Auditors Certification Course is compulsory for all the highway engineers.

When asked if the new add-on course will help these new graduates in getting jobs with the NHAI, the official said the ministry hires consultants, and the students who have the certificate will be given preference.

What is the job of a Road Safety Auditor?

Road safety auditors are responsible to conduct audits on the roads. They have to follow pre-set procedures and standards to check the road. They have to identify gaps and faults and prepare audit reports.

With the help of these auditors, the ministry not just plans to improve the road quality but also make it potholes and accident free, the official added.