Mangaluru International Airport has stepped beyond its core aviation mandate to address a broader urban challenge, hosting a road safety awareness programme aimed at promoting responsible commuting practices among city residents and transport workers. The initiative reflects a growing recognition that transport safety is an integrated urban issue, linking airports, city roads and last-mile connectivity into a single mobility ecosystem.Â
Held at the airport’s training facilities, the programme brought together airport staff, transport users and traffic authorities to focus on everyday risks faced by two-wheeler riders particularly the continued neglect of helmet use by pillion passengers. Officials involved in the initiative said the goal was not enforcement, but behavioural change through awareness and visual demonstration.Urban mobility experts note that airports are uniquely positioned as civic spaces where multiple transport modes converge. Thousands of workers and passengers travel daily between terminals, parking areas, highways and city streets. Unsafe practices on these connecting roads not only endanger lives but also disrupt travel efficiency and emergency response systems around critical infrastructure.
During the session, traffic officials highlighted common violations and their consequences, supported by interactive demonstrations illustrating how minor lapses such as riding without protective gear can escalate into life-threatening incidents. Digital quizzes and scenario-based role-play were used to engage participants, reinforcing safety norms in a way that traditional lectures often fail to achieve. According to transport planners, India’s road safety challenge is not confined to high-speed highways. Urban arterial roads near employment hubs, airports and industrial areas record a disproportionate share of accidents involving two-wheelers and pedestrians. In cities like Mangaluru, where private two-wheelers remain a dominant mode of transport, helmet compliance and lane discipline are seen as low-cost interventions with high impact.
Airport authorities said the programme aligns with broader sustainability and safety goals, recognising that resilient transport systems depend on safer users as much as safer infrastructure. Reduced accident rates around airports can also lower congestion, emergency response delays and associated economic losses, especially during peak travel seasons. From a built environment perspective, experts argue that road safety education must go hand in hand with better street design clear signage, dedicated lanes, adequate lighting and pedestrian infrastructure. Awareness campaigns, when paired with consistent enforcement and design improvements, help cities move towards people-first mobility rather than vehicle-dominated planning.
The event concluded with participants committing to follow basic road safety practices, particularly the use of helmets on two-wheelers. While symbolic, such pledges play a role in normalising safety-conscious behaviour within workplaces and communities. As Indian cities expand and transport networks grow more complex, initiatives like these signal a shift in how institutions view their role in urban life. Airports, often seen as isolated transit nodes, are increasingly emerging as partners in shaping safer, more inclusive and resilient urban mobility systems where every journey, not just the flight, is treated as a matter of public safety.
