Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Compulsory training for drivers causing accidents likely

Staff Reporter

Second driver training institute in capital

Thiruvananthapuram: The Government has plans to set up a driver-training institute in the capital and to send drivers who were involved in accidents and caught for drunken driving for compulsory training to these institutes, Minister for Transport N. Sakthan has said.

Inaugurating the valedictory function of the observance of Road Safety Week at a function organised by the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) here on Saturday, Mr. Sakthan said that the drivers being sent to these institutes for compulsory training would have to bear the cost of the training from their own pocket. This is one of the serious steps under consideration once an Ordinance for setting up Road Safety Authority in the Sate is promulgated.

Stating that the Ordinance would be promulgated soon, the Minister said that the Government would come out with a series of steps to curb road accidents in the State. Drivers cannot alone reduce road accidents, and awareness about road safety had to be created among the people and the students to curb accidents.

Mr. Sakthan said "black spots" in each district would be identified and a committee comprising the District Collector, the police, MVD officials and Executive Engineer, PWD, would take necessary steps to reduce road accidents in such spots. The Government was determined to bring down the number of road accidents in the State, he said.

The Transport Minister said the Government had decided to provide more speed radars and breath analysers to book those found indulging in drunken driving and over-speeding.

Necessary funds had been allocated. The officials concerned had also been asked to take action against those found violating traffic signals and those using cell phones while driving.

Admitting that the lack of adequate staff in the department was affecting checking of vehicles and in providing prompt services to the motorists, Mr. Sakthan said it has been decided to provide more staff despite the financial difficulties faced by the Government.

Commensurate to the increase in vehicle population, the department had not been given adequate staff. While the staff strength of the department continued to remain the same as in 1991, the vehicle population had gone up from 6 lakhs in 1991 to 32 lakhs in 2005. The former Transport Minister A. Neelalohithadas Nadar, MLA, presided. Transport Commissioner P. Chandrasekharan, Secretary of the State Transport Authority Alex Paul and Senior Deputy Transport Commissioner V. Raveendran Nair spoke.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Geomatics lab ready at university
Compulsory training for drivers causing accidents likely
Karunakaran's party will spoil LDF image, says CPI
`Strengthen Sino-Indian ties'
Man found dead
Corruption in land deal alleged
Tributes paid to Annie Mascrene
Notice given for token stir on January 24
Panel recommends Chinese consortium offer
CPI campaign
Rs. 5 crore for floriculture
Beat the heat
Around the City
In Thiruvananthapuram Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu