Superintendent of Police N. Manivannan inaugurated a “May I Help You” booth at Vellaripatti along the Madurai-Tiruchi four-lane national highway on Wednesday.
Constructed on government land with the help of TVS Group, this booth will function round the clock with two policemen who can go to the rescue of road accident victims within 10 to 15 minutes.
A highway patrol vehicle and a 108 ambulance would be parked at the booth. People can call the booth helpline 82202-20005 for help in case of accidents. People of Vellaripatti, Therkku Theru, Nathampatti can also seek their assistance for law and order problem.
Apart from a kiosk and a toilet for policemen, the booth has a huge canopy. Motorists passing through the area can park their vehicles here and take rest. We have provided water facility. They can break their journey to have food also in a secured environment, he said. A park would be developed near the booth. Highway robberies would come down with the presence of the booth.
Madurai-Tiruchi stretch in Melur police sub-division accounted for the highest number of fatal accidents so that the booth has come on this stretch. The rural police are looking for a site for a similar facility on Madurai-Dindigul highway. Sustained efforts have helped to bring down the number of fatal accidents in the district in the last three months, he said.
While the number of fatal accident up to March 20 in 2007 was 117, it has come down to 69 till date this year. We were able to save 48 lives in the first 80 days this year,” he said.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Pawan Kumar Reddy urged people to make use of the booth and its helpline. Additional Superintendent of Police K.G. Narasimavarman said the rural police took up two-pronged strategy to reduce highway accidents.
First, the speed of vehicles approaching highways was reduced to 20 from 60 kmph with speed breakers. Secondly, the speed of vehicles on national highways was reduced to 40 from 80 kmph by placing barricades on the highways, he said.
President of TVS Srichakra, P. Srinivasa Varadhan, General manager (corporate social responsibility) Karmegam, Chief Group Security Advisory, A. Ganesan, Deputy Superintendents of Police, Vanitha (Oomachikulam) and Mahendran (Melur), were present.
