The Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) has extended the coverage of its Sabarimala Safe Zone project to 400 km, by bringing the Kottayam-Kumily Road (NH-220), Kuttikkanam-Kattappana-Cumbammedu Road and Vandiperiyar-Sathram Road under its ambit.
Inaugurating this year’s functioning of the project at Elavumkal, near Nilackal, on Tuesday, Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran said the MVD had taken every possible measure to make the forthcoming Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season free of accidents.
The MVD and the Kerala Road Safety Authority had launched the ‘Safe Zone’ project on the main trunk roads leading to Sabarimala nine years ago.
The Minister said making all the roads leading to Pampa accident-free zones through a pilgrim-friendly approach was the main motto of the project.
He said the Kottayam-Kumily Road was included in the project, besides the Pathanamthitta-Pampa Road and the Erumely-Elavumkal Road.
The Minister called upon the pilgrims to desist from violating traffic rules, adding that transportation of pilgrims in decorated goods carriers and autorickshaws were violation of rules.
Mr. Saseendran said the department would issue warning notice to vehicles found violating rules. He said more interceptors would be provided as and when needed.
A success
The project had already proved to be a success in reducing road accidents on the Sabarimala roads, according to R. Sreelekha, Transport Commissioner.
The department had opened a round-the-clock control room at Elavumkal. The control room offers services such as medical assistance with ambulance facility, mobile workshop facility for all kinds of vehicles, vehicle towing facility in case of break-down, and tyre puncture repair unit, said P.D. Sunilbabu, Traffic Safety Expert and Nodal Officer of the project.
Short circuit cameras have been installed at different points to identify traffic violations. Convex mirrors too have been installed at select accident-prone curves, he said.
Mr. Sunilbabu said special squads would be deployed for conducting patrolling on all roads from November 16. N. Sankar Reddy, Road Safety Commissioner; Elangovan, Executive Director; and Jiji George, Regional Transport Officer; spoke.
