Kodela stresses need to set up Road Safety Authority to prevent accidents

Guntur: State Assembly Speaker Dr Kodela Sivaprasada Rao on Tuesday felt that there is a need to set up Road Safety Authority to take steps to reduce road accidents.

He said he requested Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to set up the authority and provide him an opportunity to work in the authority.

He addressed the valedictory of the 28th Road Safety Week at the Police Kalyana Mandapam in Guntur city on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, he expressed serious concern over increasing deaths due to accidents in the country.

He felt that conducting Road Safety Week programmes once in a year was not enough to reduce road accidents and added that there was a need to conduct continuous programmes to create awareness on road safety.

He said if a vehicle driver or bike rider (bread winner) dies in a road accident, his family will turn helpless. The Speaker urged people to drive vehicles with caution and stay away from drunken driving.

Agriculture Minister Prathipati Pulla Rao said overloading of vehicles causes road accidents and urged the drivers to follow the traffic rules to prevent mishaps.

Transport Minister Sidda Raghava Rao explained steps taken by the government to check the road accidents including implementation of compulsory helmet rule and vehicle checking.

He however stated that there was a need to introduce more measures to prevent accidents on the highways. The Transport Minister sought the co-operation of people to check the road accidents.

Later, Transport Commissioner Bala Subrahmanyam released pamphlets on Road Safety Week.

Principal Secretary to government Sumita Dawra, District Collector Kantilal Dande, Guntur Urban SP Sarva Sresta Tripathi and traffic DSP Kande Srinivas were among those who participated in the meeting.