The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Plans invited for road safety programme

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 21, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Plans invited for road safety programme

K.T.Sangameswaran

Money will be used to execute road works

CHENNAI: With Rs. 6 crore being allotted for the Road Safety Fund for 2006-2007, proposals have been invited from Superintendents and the Commissioners of Police for allocation.

Under the programme, minor road engineering works will be taken up, equipment bought and safety awareness created. Though the amount is meagre, given the number of accidents and the need for remedial measures, a senior police official says the fund helps to improve road junctions, purchase breathalysers to check drunken driving and radar guns to monitor over-speeding.

The fund is also tapped to create awareness among autorickshaw and bus drivers. The proposals from the districts are routed through district traffic improvement committees, headed by the Collectors.

Till July 31 this year, the State recorded 36,236 accidents, of which 6,536 were fatal.

A total of 7,058 persons died. The growth in the number of vehicles is expected to be around 12 per cent. This will result in an increase in road accidents. Hence, better traffic management strategies need to be evolved.

The police have been instructed to initiate urgent measures to reduce accidents. Besides booking cases for violations of the Motor Vehicles Act, the police recommended suspension or cancellation of driving licences. A better inter-departmental action has been stressed.

A committee, headed by the Home Secretary and consisting of the Secretaries of the transport, health and highways departments and the Director-General of Police, would analyse road accidents and suggest a plan.

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