Road Safety Authority to chalk out ways to curb accidents

Meet convened in the wake of Tiruppur bus accident that claimed 19 lives

Chief Whip K. Rajan paying homage to Igni Raphael, who died in Thursday’s Tiruppur bus accident, at his house at Ollur in Thrissur on Saturday. His wife, who was critically injured in the accident, is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Coimbatore.

The Kerala Road Safety Authority (KRSA) will convene an emergency meeting here on Tuesday to chalk out strategies to prevent occurrences similar to the Tiruppur bus accident in the State.

Though the meeting is convened in the wake of the tragic incident that claimed 19 lives, official sources say the contributing factors that lead to such accidents would be discussed at the meeting, which would be attended by the Ministers for Transport and Public Works and senior officials of various departments and enforcement agencies.

The incident has brought heavy vehicles, particularly container lorries, under the scanner with their unregulated movement having led to several accidents in recent times. Lack of an effective mechanism to ensure that the freights are not loaded beyond prescribed limits has also been flagged.

According to Road Safety Commissioner N. Shankar Reddy, the meeting will seek to evolve steps to ensure that road safety rules are adhered to by heavy vehicle drivers. Besides, the possibility of imparting training for drivers would also be considered, he said.

The meeting will discuss the findings and recommendations of the parallel inquiries instituted by the Motor Vehicles Department and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation into the incident.

With the truck driver was suspected to have dozed off at the wheel, the accident has also brought into focus the threats posed by driving for long periods, while being deprived of adequate rest. The meeting will study the feasibility of reintroducing an earlier provision for two drivers in container trucks and tankers.

The need to construct lorry bays and identify spaces at regular intervals for the purpose is also likely to figure at the meeting.

Having taken cognizance of media reports that have highlighted inadequacies in ensuring road safety in various parts of the State, the authority would delineate responsibilities to be taken up by the Police, Transport, Public Works and other departments and agencies such as the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC), an official says.