New Delhi: Not merely reducing the number of road accidents, but eliminating the possibility of road accidents altogether. Sounds impossible? That is what Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh is aiming to achieve by 2030. The intent has earned the city high praise from the state government, and earned the city’s Joint Commissioner (Traffic) Kanthi Rana Tata the Champion of the Year Award. From over 1,200 accidents in 2016 to 850 in 2017, Vijayawada has been successful in implementing road safety rules in the city, and is looking to reduce road accidents by 50 per cent by 2020 and completely by 2030. The traffic police department has already drawn a holistic plan of how road accidents will be curbed in the city.
The city traffic police department, along with the road transport authority and state motor vehicles department has been instrumental in arranging a yearlong campaign in the city to reduce the number of accidents. The traffic department’s campaign to handover helmets to drivers of two-wheelers who were driving without helmets, or to form small groups and monitor people driving without wearing seat belts or while speaking on their mobiles. While many such activities have been adopted by cities during the Road Safety Week from April 23 to 30, Vijayawada’s yearlong execution of these programmes is what makes it unique.
Rash driving and negligence of drivers are the two main reasons why accidents take place and we are determined to address the root cause of such behaviour. We conduct workshops with drivers throughout the year to help them understand traffic rules, regulations and how habits like drunk driving and driving without seat belts can cost lives, said Meera Prasad, Chief Inspector In-Charge, Vijayawada Traffic Police.
For the 29th Road Safety Week, special attention was given to involving as many people as possible in events related to road safety. The traffic department reached out to over 30 schools and over the course of five days, arranged several rallies with school students, who shouted slogans in support of following road safety rules. Special drives were also conducted where People flouting traffic norms were given short messages on road safety and asked not to repeat their violations.
Mission 2030, as it has been dubbed in our department, will be about complete eradication of accidents, especially from highways. To ensure this, we have already formed a highway patrol team, as well as organised for sensitisation camps that will focus on drivers of vehicles which frequent the highway. Speed monitors will be installed every 500 metres to ensure that overspeeding vehicles are nabbed before they cause any damage, said Mr Prasad.
Vijayawada’s target of zero accidents by 2030 is an ambitious one, and will need ample planning and enforcement to be anywhere near successful. The city’s yearlong traffic management measures though, give hope towards achievement of its ambitious vision.
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