NTR District Aims to Top State in Road Safety, Says Collector
He also reviewed action taken on decisions made during the previous meeting
VIJAYAWADA: NTR district is aiming to emerge as the top district in road safety by reducing accidents through coordinated action by all departments, district collector Dr G. Lakshmisha said on Friday.
Chairing a meeting of the District Road Safety Committee (DRSC) in Vijayawada, the collector reviewed road accident trends, enforcement measures, the implementation of the Hit and Run Scheme and progress of the electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) system. He also reviewed action taken on decisions made during the previous meeting.
Officials informed the meeting that 1,105 road accidents occurred in the district last year, resulting in 373 deaths and 967 injuries. During the first two months of this year, 171 accidents have already been reported, claiming 58 lives.
Dr Lakshmisha said officials from the transport, police, traffic, roads and buildings (R&B), national highways and Vijayawada Municipal Corporation departments must work in close coordination to curb accidents. He also suggested that study reports prepared by voluntary organisations be examined to frame effective strategies.
Pointing out that around 38 per cent of accidents involve two-wheelers, the collector called for extensive awareness campaigns on traffic rules and appreciated the efforts of the police and transport departments in conducting road safety awareness programmes.
He directed officials to focus on the 123 accident-prone black spots identified in 2025, including 20 on NH-16, 38 on NH-65 and 10 on NH-30, and to take corrective measures based on joint inspections at these locations.
The collector also instructed departments to install speed breakers, caution boards, warning signs and speed limit indicators, and to prepare proposals for foot overbridges and underpasses where required.
Police commissioner S. V. Rajasekhar Babu said real-time traffic data is being analysed to improve traffic management, particularly in Vijayawada. Measures are also being taken to utilise roadside space effectively and introduce systematic parking to reduce congestion and enhance road safety.
