The Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) will be launching its Safe Zone project on the two main trunk roads leading to Sabarimala from Pathanamthitta and Erumeli from the start of the annual pilgrim season on Saturday, Aby John, Regional Transport Officer, said.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Mr John said the Safe Zone project introduced by the MVD in 2010 proved to be a success in reducing road accidents on the Erumeli-Pampa Road and the Pathanamthitta-Pampa roads.
Less accidents
The vehicular flow to Pampa during the previous pilgrim season had registered an increase of 27.12 per cent than that of 2011-12 while the accident rate has come down by 4 per cent in 2012-13 compared to the previous year, he said.
The RTO said the last Mandalam-Makaravilakku season had an increase of at least one lakh vehicles reaching Pampa as compared to the same period the previous year.
He said the Safe Zone project, aimed at making the Sabarimala roads accident-free zone, had yielded better results and had gained public acceptance during the past three pilgrim seasons.
Controlling office
The Motor Vehicle Department will open a round-the-clock controlling office at Elavumkal where the two major roads from Erumeli and Pathanamthitta join, besides a subcentre at Erumeli from November 16.
Mr John said the department had also installed cameras to monitor the vehicular traffic and location boards, with helpline numbers, at different points on both the Sabarimala roads.
The department also had deputed employees who came forward to do voluntary service at the controlling offices. Special squads would be conducting round-the-clock patrolling on the Pathanamthitta-Pampa and Erumeli-Elavumkal stretches of the two roads in the service of Sabarimala pilgrims.
Steps would also be taken to check violation of traffic rules by autorikshaws and goods carriers, the department said.
