Road safety norms essential to curb accidents: Collector
Rajamahendravaram: East Godavari district collector P Prasanthi has stressed that strict enforcement of road safety regulations and traffic rules is essential to reduce accidents. She directed officials from various departments to submit detailed reports on the steps taken for road safety by the next review meeting.
Presiding over the District-Level Road Safety Committee (DLRSC) meeting held at the Collector's camp office on Monday under the Roads and Buildings Department, the collector expressed dissatisfaction over the poor implementation of decisions taken in previous meetings.
She questioned the delay in setting up lighting on national highways, asking why three months were needed for the task,and urged officials to explore alternative ways to complete urgent works regardless of tender-related issues. She said the high accident rates, especially on national highways, and asked for immediate submission of action-taken reports (ATRs) detailing the preventive measures implemented so far.
The collector also called on all departments to familiarise themselves with the Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD) app introduced by the Central Government.
Noting that state highway tolls were on par with national highways despite subpar safety standards, she instructed officials of the Road Development Corporation to conduct regular inspections. She warned private agencies working purely for revenue generation would be served notices, and contractors showing negligence would face penalties. She emphasised the need for city-wide speed limits, helmet enforcement, drunken driving checks, and other safety measures.
Superintendent of Police D Narasimh Kishore said that the number of accidents and fatalities had nearly doubled in the past three months.
While incidents involving RTC buses had decreased, four-wheelers were contributing significantly to the rise in accidents. He identified the stretch between Gaman Bridge and Zero Point as a high-risk zone. He pointed out the lack of lighting on highways and urged the Roads Department to coordinate with police before undertaking any roadwork.
He also proposed that officials from the transport, police, and other departments form multi-disciplinary teams to carry out joint inspections.
The SP dismissed the misconception that helmet use is not mandatory within city limits, clarifying that no such exemption exists under the law. R&B Executive Engineer SBV Reddy and other senior officials attended the meeting.
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