Government to Target Accident Black Spots to Reduce Deaths

 Hyderabad: Transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar on New Year’s Day said the state government was focusing on identifying and rectifying accident-prone “black spots” on roads to reduce fatalities. He was speaking after inaugurating the month-long National Road Safety Month at the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) office in Khairatabad.

The minister released posters in the presence of senior officials and special invitees. A similar programme was held at the Telangana Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) office, where he participated along with vice-chairman and managing director Nagi Reddy. He noted that RTC buses were one of the safest modes of transport, with an accident rate of 0.07 per one lakh km.

At RTA Khairatabad, the minister distributed helmets to officials and appealed to the public to adopt safe driving practices. The programme was attended by special chief secretary Vikas Raj, transport commissioner Dr K. Ilambarithi, Hyderabad collector Dasari Harichandana and Unicef state head Dr Zelelam.

Referring to Telangana recording a high number of road accident fatalities, the minister said multiple steps were being taken to bring down deaths. He said a comprehensive month-long plan had been prepared, with special focus on educating students on road safety measures.

At Bus Bhavan, the minister said special training programmes were being conducted for drivers at every depot and breathalyser tests were being carried out before the start of journeys. He noted that families of accident victims and those permanently disabled suffer lifelong hardships, adding that nearly ₹80 crore was paid annually towards accident insurance.

He said the TGSRTC has resolved to reduce accidents at the depot level, with the ultimate aim of bringing RTC accidents down to zero. He added that simulators are being used to train drivers for foggy and rainy conditions.