8th edition of the JK Tyre Constitution Club of India Car Rally for Parliamentarians 2023 flagged off
New Delhi: The 8th edition of the much-awaited and prestigious JK Tyre-Constitution Club of India Car Rally for Parliamentarians was flagged off today in New Delhi. The flag-off ceremony, held at the Constitution Club of India premises, was graced by the Hon’ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla, as the Chief Guest; and Dr. Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries, as the Guest of Honour, among other dignitaries.
Constituted in 2010, the TSD (Time, speed, distance) rally hosted annually, in association with the Constitution Club of India (CCI), has been a celebrated event to voice for road safety and safer driving practices.
The revered rally hosted with the objective to promote road safety, had over 70 politicians, bureaucrats, and other invitees, hitting the streets of the National Capital on Sunday. This year’s edition had renowned Members of Parliament Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Honb’e Finance Minister, Shri Anurag Thakur, Hon’ble Union Minister For Information & Technology and youth Affairs and Sports Dr Harshvardhan, Hon’ble Member of Lok Sabha, among others, including a number of other parliamentarians, diplomats, and armed forces personnel, along with representatives from media, and PSUs gathered together to pay homage to the MPs who lost their lives in road accidents and spread the message of safe driving.
Expressing his delight on the flagging-off of the 8th edition of the rally, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Secretary, CCI, said, “We’re delighted to see such great support and enthusiasm from our co-parliamentarians in successfully hosting another edition of this prestigious rally after a gap of two years owing to the pandemic. The rally has been a promoter of road safety and safer driving practices for many years now and we believe that as representatives of the public, it is imperative to voice for such a pertinent cause through an initiative like this.”
Dr. Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries, JK Tyre, said, “We are proud to have partnered with the Constitution Club of India for the 8th JK Tyre Constitution Club of India Car Rally for Parliamentarians which reflects our commitment to driving safely. Our awareness campaign, ‘Drive Safely, Drive Responsibly, Stay in Total Control,’ has been internationally lauded. I take this opportunity to call upon the lawmakers of the nation to take upon the mantle of ambassadors of road safety to the public at large.”
The event is held in TSD (Time, Speed, Distance) format which is a unique form of rallying where crossing the chequered flag fastest is not the objective. Each team comprises of a driver and navigator, where the navigator who has to bear in mind the route instructions, calculate the average speed and ensure the team is on track and not behind or ahead of the schedule as both scenarios attract penalty points. Participants have to maintain specified times and average speeds (which are at par or lower than the legal limits) on various segments of a predefined route.
The rally traversed through a carefully curated route through the capital city, covering several landmarks on the way, to finally conclude at the Constitution Club of India on Rafi Marg. A plethora of classic and vintage cars, along with decorated cars, drove through the roads, echoing the significance of safer driving practices in ensuring safety for all. The FMSCI-compliant rally also put to test the navigational skills of the participants while adhering to the traffic norms.
The winners will be felicitated at a grand prize distribution ceremony on Monday, March 27, to be graced by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, as the Chief Guest, and Shri Anshuman Singhania, Managing Director of JK Tyre & Industries, as the Guest of Honour, among other dignitaries.