Rash driving a major cause for concern

Visakhapatnam: There has been a spurt in the road mishaps, not only on the national highways but also on the rural and semi-urban roads in Vishakhapatnam district. Over 595 people died and 2,303 injured due to rash driving. 

Though the enforcement authorities, including Road Transport Authority (RTA) and traffic police, are conducting the special and spot drives to check the illegal driving, the number of accident cases are still very high. The RTA officials have been registering a huge number of cases, including vehicles being driven without licences, causing accidents with negligence and rash driving.

Speaking at the District Road Safety meeting here on Wednesday, presided over by District Collector Pravin Kumar here on Wednesday, Deputy Transport Commissioner (DTC) Venkateshwara Rao said that the department had cancelled 1,444 driving licences from April to December 2017 and registered 5,073 cases against the drivers who were not having valid licences during the same period.  During the past eight months of the present fiscal year, a total of 39,492 cases were registered, including 131 drunken driving cases, the DTC added.

Speaking at the meeting, Collector Pravin Kumar directed the officials to arrange solar blinkers on the national highways as a part of the preventive measures to check the road accidents particularly during the night. The state government sanctioned 70-km long road from GK Veedhi to Sileru. The roads and buildings department would start the works for the road, he added.

Regarding the beautification measures taken up for the coming three-day CIIs Partnership Summit, the District Collector directed the authorities to complete the works, including zebra crossing and pedestal markings, central dividers with radium stickers and other beautification related works between the airport to all the important junctions in the city. 

The patch works and white washings to all the culverts from  Anandapuram to Anakapalle should be completed within the stipulated time, he added. GVMC Commissioner M Hari Narayanan said that the road widening works between Hanumanthawaka – Venkojipalem – Adarshanagar have been taken up and would be completed soon.