Rate of accidental deaths comes down in Vijayawada: CP Dwaraka Tirumala Rao

Vijayawada: Road accidents and death caused by mishaps are declined in Vijayawada commissionerate limits in 2019 compared to previous year 2018. Due to the collective efforts of police, transport department, NGOs, educational institutions, the rate of accidents came down drastically. A total of 347 persons lost their lives and 1,376 persons were injured in 1,481 road accidents in the commissionerate limits. Last year, 363 people died, and 1,483 persons were injured in 1,659 road accidents. Of the 1,659 road accidents in the commissionerate limits, 355 are fatal accidents. Vijayawada is prone to road accidents due to passing of two important highways, the Kolkata-Chennai National Highway and Machilipatnam-Hyderabad Highway. Traffic is increased in the city in the last five years after Vijayawada became the capital of Andhra Pradesh.

The city police are facing a challenging task of regulating traffic due to non-functioning of traffic signal lights in many parts of the city and visits of VIPs, and conducting important events like Dasara celebrations, Bhavani Deeksha relinquishments. On the other hand, the road widening works are pending in the city for the last few years. All these factors lead to traffic congestion in many parts of the city in morning and evening hours.

Commissioner of Police Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, speaking to media on Monday, said the road accidents in Vijayawada commissionerate limits came down due to collective efforts of police, transport department, NGOs and educational institutions.

He said traffic was increased manifold in the city after the bifurcation of state and the police were facing challenging task in regulating the traffic and reducing the mishaps. He said, "The police are successful in reducing the mishaps and deaths caused by accidents in 2019 compared to previous year."

Besides, the police are also facing problems to check the rash driving, zigzag driving, snake driving and highspeed driving. The police booked 4,842 cases for violation of traffic rules and conducted 139 counselling sessions to traffic violators.

To reduce the sound pollution in the city, the traffic police are asking Royal Enfield vehicle users to change the silensors, which are used as per the Motor Vehicle Act. The police and transport department are collecting penalty for violation of rules like drunken driving, rash driving, helmet-less driving, triple-riding, high-speed driving, zigzag driving and snake driving. Youth are creating panic on roads with rash driving and snake driving feats, he said. The police are facing tough task of keeping an eye and booking case for reckless driving which is causing problems to other commuters and pedestrians in the city.