Date:14/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/14/stories/2008021452980300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Traffic safety lessons in schools

Staff Reporter

To be taught
from this year for students from class VI to IX, says Transport Commissioner

Sangareddy: Transport Commissioner Poonam Malakondaiah on Wednesday said that students from sixth to ninth standard would be taught traffic safety lessons from the coming academic year.

Addressing a press conference here, she said that traffic rules, signals and related subject matter would be taught as a part of Social Sciences and textbooks were also ready in this regard.

In addition to this the Transport Department decided to concentrate on teenage students riding two-wheelers, who were the most accident-prone sections.

Out of the 74 lakh vehicles registered in the State till 2007, 54 lakh were two-wheelers and a majority of them were used by youngsters.

Web-enabled services

Announcing steps taken to overhaul the licencing system in the State, Ms. Malakondaiah said that a pilot project had begun in Hyderabad, Krishna and Kadapa districts. The project, expected to be completed by March, would allow the user to avail 43 out of the 54 RTA services through web.

This facility would be extended to all other districts in a phased manner. Another pilot project was underway in Hyderabad aimed at streamlining the issue of learner and permanent licences.

The new system would enable 50 aspirants to take test at one go.

Even the test track would have sensors that could record the deviations without any human interface.

She also said that soon all the districts would have new scientific driving testing tracks to improve the quality of driving hands.

Wine shops

Earlier addressing the Medak District Road Safety Committee meeting, the Transport Commissioner asked the Excise Department officials to close down wine shops and permit rooms abutting the national highways and directed the national highway authorities to immediately put up signboards on the highways even if they were under renovation.

District Collector B. Venkatesam asked for more trauma centres on the national and State highways in the district particularly at Toopran, Siddipet and Kondapur.

Superintendent of Police R. B. Nayak and officers from transport, roads and buildings, panchayat Raj, medical and health departments were also present at the committee meeting.