Hyderabad: Preventing road accidents and ensuring road safety have now become poll issues. Organisations advocating road safety are coming together and demanding that safer roads, better footpaths, pedestrian crossings should all be included in the manifestoes of all political parties, if they want to safeguard their vote bank in the upcoming general elections in the state.
It is estimated that there are around 450 deaths in road accidents every day in the country, attributed to various reasons.
There were a total of two lakh fatalities in the last couple of years. This year alone, till September, there have been 1,209 accidents on the Hyderabad roads.
Dr Keshava Rao, a noted psychiatrist, who also works for increasing road safety awareness, said, “We would like to sensitise politicians regarding the problems that every citizen faces because of the bad roads. We have sent representations to many of the political parties, hoping that they will include this issue in their manifestoes and work towards better roads and safety, when they come to power. Once our representatives come to power, it is their responsibility to take care of the citizens’ welfare. We are just letting them know where the problem lies.”
Speaking to this newspaper, road safety expert B. Adi Shankar from RoadKraft said the city’s road infrastructure should be improved before enforcing stringent traffic rules on the public.
“We don’t even have proper footpaths for the pedestrians in the city. At many junctions, we don’t even have zebra crossing lines to cross the roads. Before enforcing the rules, improving the road infrastructure and educating users are important. The lane marking on the roads is also limited to only certain areas in Begumpet and Raj Bhavan road.”
Opposition parties like the Congress and the BJP have been quick to grab the opportunity and have given their approvals for the inclusion.
Dr Sravan Dasoju, general secretary and chief spokesperson of the Telangana Congress, said, "We don't want to make false promises like KCR's party and say we will make Hyderabad an Istanbul or Dallas. We will surely make the state free of potholes and ensure efficient sewerage and drainage system. Hyderabad is a global city and we will ensure that the standard is maintained in terms of road infrastructure and all other aspects too.”
Mr. Vinod Kumar Kanumala, chief functionary, Indian Road Federation, said, "If roads are made into a poll issue, there would be scope and power on the part of the citizens to question the party when it comes to power. There is a lot to be developed in terms of roads in the city and state and whoever comes to power has to make it as their top agenda."
