New Delhi, Oct. 11: The road transport and highways ministry is looking for a mascot to drive its road safety campaign, months after dropping Bollywood actor Aamir Khan following his remarks on growing intolerance in the country.

The central ministry has decided to organise a nationwide competition asking members of the public to propose ideas for a mascot to be associated with the campaign, which the government hopes to launch in a few months.

"We first thought of engaging a celebrity for the project, but then decided to go for a mascot instead. The winner whose entry emerges as the preferred choice will get a cash reward," a senior transport division official told The Telegraph.

"We felt that a dedicated mascot would be more effective and more likely to make impressions on the public than a celebrity who could be involved in many other campaigns simultaneously," the official said.

The mascot, officials said, could be used in print, outdoor and audio-visual campaigns by the government as well as non-government organisations. Sources said the Nitin Gadkari-led ministry had first signed Aamir as the face of the campaign in December 2014 following an episode of the actor's popular social awareness television talk show Satyamev Jayate (season 3), titled Road Accidents Or Murders?

"Since the ministry was already looking to launch a countrywide campaign to spread awareness on safe practices on the road, Aamir looked the best choice to be its face at that time," an official in Gadkari's office said.

The initiative was delayed by several months because of the unavailability of ad-maker Piyush Mishra, who was to direct the campaign. Last year, Aamir found himself embroiled in controversy when he raised the issue of intolerance under the Narendra Modi government.

"He was dropped as the brand ambassador of the tourism ministry's Incredible India campaign and we also decided not to go ahead with the planned project. For months, we were looking for another suitable choice to replace him, but now we want a mascot instead," the official added.

Although the road ministry has commissioned some advertisements advocating safe practices, the need to launch a mega campaign was felt after rapidly rising fatalities on India's roads over the past few years, officials said.

Around 1.46 lakh people died in road crashes in over five lakh accidents last year.

Road safety experts said the government should try to launch the campaign in a big way as soon as possible. "Whether it is a celebrity or a mascot, the content of the public service ads should be powerful and striking and should deliver the message without being too preachy," said K.K. Kapila, chairman of the India chapter of the International Road Federation, an NGO that advocates road safety measures.

"This idea has been long pending and it is high time that the road transport ministry launches it on a priority basis."

Naman Mishra of the Safe Road Foundation said a mascot would probably serve the purpose better as celebrities tend to overpower the message they are meant to deliver.

"It's really not a big issue, but launching the campaign with a mascot that could be its face sounds good," Mishra said. "Our roads have become very unsafe and what is more important is serious intervention on the part of the government to educate and inform commuters about why it is important to follow rules which are for their own good."