Ponnam launches National Road Safety month amid alarming accident statistics

Hyderabad

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar laid emphasis on the pressing need for road safety and called for an inter-departmental effort to reduce road accidents.

Mr. Prabhakar was speaking at the inauguration of the National Road Safety Month on Thursday. The month-long campaign, which kicked off on January 1, is focussed on reducing accidents and fatalities through continuous public participation, enforcement, and an increase in dissemination of information and awareness in all districts of Telangana.

Flanked by officials, the Minister released posters, vehicle stickers, and road safety books for students, and distributed helmets so as to underscore the importance of following road safety rules. He said that the campaign would be driven by the slogan Sadak Suraksha, Jeevan Suraksha. This would be achieved by means of education, engineering, enforcement, and emergency response.

Road safety is the responsibility of all, he said, and called for better coordination between district collectors, police, education, and roads and buildings departments. Efforts to identify and remove accident prone black spots, visit schools so as to obtain undertakings from students and parents that they would follow traffic rules is in the offing, he said, adding that strict action, including suspension of driving licences, would be implemented in case of violations.

With Telangana having around 1.8 crore vehicles, following traffic rules is essential, he emphasised. With inputs from UNICEF, the government is setting up traffic awareness parks in schools, and transport officials have been asked to set clear targets in this regard.

Mr. Prabhakar also said that a related awareness poster had been released earlier in the day at Yadagirigutta. He appealed to motorists to drive responsibly, keeping in mind their waiting families at home, and called upon the media to play an active role in spreading awareness.