Road accidents are not viewed with the degree of seriousness they deserve, said City Police Commissioner B. Srinivasulu on Monday.
He addressed the valedictory session of ‘Accident-Free Week’, a special drive launched by the A.P. State Road Transport to achieve ‘zero-accident’ driving by its drivers, on the premises of Pandit Nehru Bus Station. Mr. Srinivasulu said that the city witnessed 35 murders every year against one death, on an average, every day in road accidents.
Public response to the alarming number of deaths in accidents was almost lukewarm, he pointed out. “Drivers must exercise utmost caution while at the wheel as they are accountable for the lives of 60-65 people inside the vehicle. They must remember that their families are waiting back home for their safe return,” he said.
Speaking about the pain and anguish of the family that has lost a beloved in a road accident, the CP said that no amount of compensation or any other benefit could be a substitute for a life lost.
“It is not necessary that the RTC driver is always at fault in the event of a road accident, but an alert driver can avert a mishap even if his counterpart in the vehicle coming from opposite direction resorted to reckless driving,” he maintained.
Referring to the awards-distribution activity that followed, he said that despite heavy pressure, the drivers were able to focus on their duty and achieve accident-free driving which was praiseworthy.
There were a few complaints about RTC buses, which do not stop at the designated bus-stops, he said and opined that if the drivers had any problem with private vehicle operators at these stops, they were free to bring it to his notice. “We are here to protect the interests of the RTC,” he said amidst applause.
The CP applauded RTC authorities for successfully plugging losses and said a little more effort could help them further improve the Occupancy Ratio in the RTC services.
Drivers, who had achieved accident-free driving record, were given awards.
A. Venkateswara Rao and R. Nagaraju, RTC Executive Directors, Hyderabad and Vijayawada respectively and Vijayawada Regional Manager Sudesh Kumar were present.
