Date:10/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/10/stories/2008041059490800.htm

Tamil Nadu

Over 12,000 people died on Tamil Nadu roads in 2007

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: As many as 12,036 persons died in road accidents in Tamil Nadu last year, up from about 9,571 in 2001 and just over 11,000 in 2006.

Placing in the Assembly the statistics on accidents, as part of the demands for grants for his department on Wednesday, Transport Minister K.N. Nehru said the government had taken many measures to bring down the number of accidents and the number of lives lost on the roads.

The Transport department had launched a massive crackdown on driving under the influence of alcohol, he said. As many as 7,505 driving licences had been suspended and 5,328 licences cancelled. The government had been unsparing on drivers held responsible for fatal accidents.

As many as 9,165 licences of such drivers had been suspended while in 531 cases, the licences were cancelled.

Apart from this, the government has begun implementing the scheme to reward drivers of State-run transport corporations for accident-free service.

The Chief Minister’s Award for accident-free service will be operational from 2008-09 and Rs.1,000 in cash and a medal will be given to drivers who had not been involved in an accident that year. For those drivers who have not been involved in an accident for 15 years continuously a cash award of Rs.10,000 and a medal will be given; for those who have not been involved in accidents for 20 continuous years, a cash award of Rs.15,000 plus a medal will be given and for those who were not involved in an accident in 25 years, a cash award of Rs.20,000 along with a medal will be the given.

This scheme will be in addition to the existing award schemes in transport corporations, he said.

The government was also taking steps in improving caution signals on roads. All intersections on national highways in the State will be provided with warning lamps, warning signs and speed breakers.

It has been made mandatory for heavy vehicle drivers to undergo training in the syllabus drawn up by the Institute of Road Transport before their licences are renewed. All the 219 recognised heavy vehicle driving teaching institutes will follow the syllabus drawn up by the IRT, he said.