A good beginning has been made in the exercise to reduce vehicular pollution and all efforts should be directed at reducing pollution levels in the next five years and contribution from citizens is required to make the low carbon mobility plans of GVMC a success, Municipal Commissioner B. Ramanjaneyulu has said.
Addressing the first stake-holders as a part of the project study on LCMP on Friday, he wanted all stake-holders to come back with their proposals for the next meeting which would be a grass-root level one. He wanted the AP Pollution Control Board to put the pollution levels on its website so that citizens would be more aware of the danger involved.
Police Commissioner J. Purnachandra Rao said owing to persistent efforts by the city police, drunken and irresponsible driving, consequently accident rate during the last three years. Driving by minors was curbed by counselling parents. The increase in police force by 150 also helped. The automatic signalling system with central monitoring would also reduce the time of vehicle plying on roads, he said thereby reducing pollution. Illumination on the Madhurawada stretch for about 15 km would further improve road safety. Mr. Purnachandra Rao, however, unless drivers of private vehicles, including autos, were ensured minimum wages and have a sense of belonging accidents involving them could not be brought down. Besides, all those holding driving licence were not fit to drive and a certification agency was required for that, he added.
Anvita Arora, Director and CEO of iTrans Private Limited, a Technology Business Incubation Unit of IIT Delhi, in her presentation said the plan would be ready by the middle of next year when JNNURM-II would be launched.
Member of JNNURM Directorate R.V. Rama Rao, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, IIT, Delhi, Kalaga Ramachandra Rao, DCP (Traffic) Suresh Babu, RTC Regional Manager Y. Jagadeeshbabu, Prof. S. Ramakrishna Rao of GITAM Engineering College, RTO Vivekananda Reddy, officials of Visakhapatnam Port Trust, APPCB, GVMC Chief Engineer Additional Commissioners K. Ramesh and P. Poornachandra Rao and others participated.
