The Motor Vehicles Department will implement a safe zone project from Thursday to ensure the safety of pilgrims on the Sabarimala route, Transport Minister V.S. Sivakumar has said.
The Pathanamthitta-Pampa and Erumeli-Pampa stretches would be under round-the-clock surveillance on all days as part of the project, the Minister said in as statement here on Wednesday.
Modern safety measures would be introduced on these stretches during the Mandalam and Makaravilakku seasons. In order to prevent speeding and overtaking, the enforcement wing of the Department would take due care on the accident-prone stretches. If a vehicle breaks down on the safe zone, service of automobile companies and workshops would be ensured.
Accident relief facilities would be provided at the Pathanamthitta Collectorate. Ambulance services would be provided round-the-clock. As many as two road surveillance units would be operating on the Pathanamthitta-Pampa stretch and one on the Elavunkal-Erumeli route.
Curbs on vehicles
Autorickshaws from outside Pathanamthitta district should not be used for Sabarimala pilgrimage as they had been banned as per the rules. Goods vehicles too should not be used for transporting pilgrims.
Mr. Sivakumar will inaugurate a control office of the project at Elavunkal at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning.
The email address of safe zone is safezonerto3@gmail.com. The website address is www.sabrimalasafezone.com. The helpline numbers are 094000 44991 and 096565 01818.
