Evolve concrete measures to make ghat roads free from accidents: EO

TIRUPATI: TTD Executive Officer AV Dharma Reddy wanted the officials to take concrete measures to make Tirumala cent per cent free of accidents.

A review meeting on the prevention and precautionary steps to be taken on ghat roads to check accidents was held at the TTD EO chambers at the TTD Administrative Building in Tirupati on Monday.

Along with senior TTD officials including JEO Veerabrahmam and CVSO Narasimha Kishore, chief engineer Nageswar Rao, police, RTA and APSRTC officials attended the meeting which is one of the series of meetings, the EO held, with concern over the series of mishaps happening on the ghat roads. The EO said an effective mechanism needs to be worked out to strengthen safety measures to check mishaps on ghat roads. “For this both the TTD CVSO and District SP should come up with best proposals,” he maintained.

Among other important measures included ensuring 100% surveillance from Vaikuntham complex to temple point and at all the four entry points of the holy hills of Tirumala which include the two ghat roads and two footpath routes.

Whenever an accident takes place on ghat roads, that case should be referred to SVIMS or BIRRD or SPCHC immediately and the TTD vigilance should alert the hospital concerned so that an action team will be kept ready at these hospitals to attend to the injured without any delay in providing treatment. During the commencement of the operation of buses in both up and down ghat roads, an APSRTC senior officer should be available to ensure smooth flow of vehicles ferrying the pilgrims.

The drivers also need to be guided to maintain proper distance between two buses, avoid overtaking and also strictly adhere to safety norms to ensure road safety. The possibilities of providing alternative facilities for vehicles or drivers in Tirupati and as well places need to be identified for implementing pre-paid taxi systems in Tirumala to prevent exploitation of pilgrims by private taxies, EO said.

The meeting also discussed various measures including to impose a ban on the vehicles not in fit condition from plying on the ghat road,

setting up TTD security posts at select places on the ghat roads for surveillance, to set up permanent structures like roller-coaster barriers at vulnerable points like Avvachari Kona etc.

It has been decided to set up audio systems in all APSRTC buses on do’s and dont’s during plying on ghats and to increase the frequency of free buses to Tirumala to avoid overcrowding in the buses. TTD transport general manager Sesha Reddy, DFO Srinivasulu, Estates Special Officer Mallikharjuna, SPCHC Director Dr Srinath Reddy, BIRRD In-charge CSRMO Dr Kishore, Dr Ram from SVIMS, DMHO Dr Srihari, DTC Tirupati Seetharami Reddy, district public transport officer (APSRTC) Jitendernath Reddy, ASP Tirumala Muniramaiah, Tirumala traffic DSP Kondaiah, VGO Tirupati Manohar and others were also present.