Safe driving and saving of fuel are the new mantras for RTC drivers in the wake of ghastly road accident at Mahabubnager involving a Volvo bus recently.
On Wednesday, drivers of Guntur Region were explained the importance of safe driving by consultant to World Bank on fuel and safety, Md. Haneef on the premises of NTR Bus Station Complex. Mr. Haneef who worked as a driver in Guntur region, later was promoted to zone and after his retirement, he was posted as a consultant.
Addressing the inaugural workshop at the Safety Training Classes, Mr. Hanif spoke about the importance of lifelong learning and ability to solve the problems confronting society.
Citing Mahatma Gandhi, he said that one should be learner throughout his life.
He said that RTC drivers were among the most skilled drivers in the country and the data shows the drivers from Andhra Pradesh have been the most safe and the number of accidents involving the drivers from the state is among the lowest in the country.
Reeling out statistics, he said that 4.28 lakh people die every year in the world due to road accidents and 12 lakh become physically challenged.
The accident rate is high in A.P too with 15,250 deaths being recorded last year, out of which 1,800 are drivers. Maharashtra has the highest accident rate in the country, while A.P is ranked 16th. ``Pollution is the biggest cause of accidents,’’ he said.
Earlier, Executive Director of the region, R. Nagaraju said that drivers should follow safety instructions and he said that RTC has been footing a heavy fuel bill due to frequent hike in the price of diesel.
Regional Manager, P.V Rama Rao said that most road mishaps take place due to lack of road sense and said that drivers should adhere to safety manual.
