Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy has announced that funds from the Kerala Road Safety Authority (KRSA) will be made available to ‘rectify’ the defects in the road network.
He was speaking after inaugurating Motor Vehicle Department’s State-level training and awareness programme on road safety on Friday as part of observance of “2011-2020 A Decade of Action for Road Safety” by the United Nations.
The Rs. 15.6-crore action plan, prepared by the MVD for this year to create awareness among all class of road users, is being implemented with the help of the KRSA. The Chief Minister said flaws in the construction of the roads and lack of proper alignment was also a contributing factor for the increasing road accidents. The funds from the KRSA will be used to rectify the defects scientifically and to make the roads safe for the road users.
Pointing out that the road accidents and deaths in the road network in the State was ‘alarming’, Mr. Chandy said the Police, Motor Vehicles Department and the Public Works Department should work in a coordinated way to bring down the accidents.
A serious effort is needed to reduce the fatalities in the road network and the rules and regulations should be enforced. The MVD and the police will be given all assistance and help in undertaking the mission to bring down road accidents. The government has accorded top priority for road safety and effective measures like frequent checking are needed from the police and MVD, he said. Funds will not be a problem for taking steps to ensure road safety, he added.
Minister for Transport, V. S. Sivakumar, who presided, said the government will soon come up with an action plan to spread the message of road safety among the public through the 60 lakh schoolchildren in the State. Although the rate of accidents had come down marginally, he said it is a fact that road accidents is a matter of concern for all.
At the function, the Chief Minister released the training manuals on road safety and on school road safety. Mayor K. Chandrika, State Police Chief Jacob Punnose, Former chairman of the Railway Board M. N. Prasad, councillor Palayam Rajan, Director of Natpac B. Sridevi, State Transport Commissioner T. P. Senkumar, Joint Transport Commissioner, Alex Paul and DPI A. Shajahan spoke.
