Date:02/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/02/stories/2009010259030300.htm

Tamil Nadu

People’s help sought to keep roads safe

Staff Reporter

Even pedestrians will be trained on using roads

Photo: K. Ananthan

CONNECTING WITH THEM: City Police Commissioner K.C. Mahali plays carrom with children at the renovated Police Boys’ Club at Kamarajapuram in the city on Thursday. –

Tirupur: The Regional Transport Officer (Tirupur North), K.P. Jayakumar, has called upon people from all walks of life to extend full cooperation to transport department officials to make the roads in the city accident-free.

Drive carefully

Inaugurating the ‘Road Safety Week’ observed by the Transport Department on the theme of ‘Carefully drive, reach alive’ at the New Bus Stand here on Thursday, he said that officials from the department would distribute leaflets, stickers and pamphlets to drivers of all kinds of vehicle on how to keep roads safe for driving.

As part of the week-long campaign, people would be asked to wear protective head gears while riding motorbikes and fasten seat belts when travelling in cars.

They drivers should never jump the red signal and follow the signage kept alongside the roads carefully, to avoid accidents.

Pedestrians too would be educated on ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ to be followed when crossing roads.

Enforcement

Enforcement activities were planned to ensure that the drivers were not mixing ‘drink and drive’ as well as not pushing their vehicles beyond permissible speed limits. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation would carry out a ‘campaign on wheels’ to disseminate the road safety regulations among youth and regular road users.

Divisional Managers of the corporation V. Ravikumar and S.K. Selvanayakam, were present at the inaugural.

Staff Reporter adds from Coimbatore

The police and Transport Department officials initiated a number of measures on Thursday to mark the observance of road safety week celebrations.

City Police Commissioner K.C. Mahali asked the traffic police to affix bulls-eye on vehicles to prevent dazzling headlights being a cause for accident.

Deputy Transport Commissioner, Coimbatore Circle, T. Gunasekaran said that a Road Safety Awareness Propaganda vehicle of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation was flagged off.

The vehicle having road signs, road safety messages and slogans would be positioned at busy areas of public congregation to create awareness.

In addition, the Regional Transport Officers and Motor Vehicle Inspectors have been asked to step up enforcement of road rules especially vehicle checks relating to violations.

Events

There would be series of events throughout the week to generate awareness on road safety so as to bring in a culture of compliance to road rules to make roads safer.