ELURU: "Composure and alertness are my inherent traits that made me an accident-free driver in my three decades of service," says K.S.N. Raju, a driver in the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation. He received the `best driver' award at a function here on Saturday.

This was the 6th time he was chosen for the honour from the West Godavari region of the APSRTC. Attached to the Narsapur Depot, he said: "I will be poised from the moment I hold the steering." Another driver D.N. Rao was also conferred the best driver award for the year 2006, seventh time in his 29 years of service.

Safety week

The APSRTC presented the awards to drivers and conductors who rendered best service as part of the `Road Safety Week' celebrations.

Speaking on the occasion, S. Vijayakumar, Regional Manager, APSRTC, claimed that the incidence of road accidents involving RTC buses came down in the region during 2006 when compared to the previous year.

As 28 cases of major accidents were reported in the region in 2005, the number came down to 13 in 2006, he explained.

National Mazdoor Union leader R.V.S.D. Prasad said autorickshaws were the main cause for accidents and emphasised the need to rein in them. He also complained that autorickshaws were encroaching upon the road margins meant for staging RTC buses at busy centres like Court Centre, Fire Station and old bus stand areas in the city, causing traffic bottlenecks.

Awareness

T.V. Rajagopal, Additional Superintendent of Police, said that the police had embarked upon a programme to create awareness among autorickshaw drivers on road safety and traffic rules.

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