In the wake of multiple fatal road accidents in the state, Andhra Pradesh Transport Minister K Atchannaidu said that the state government would wage a “war against road accidents.”
“From today, the state government is declaring a war against road accidents,” Atchannaidu said on Wednesday, announcing a slew of new measures.
The minister made this statement while chairing a review meeting with Home Minister N Chinarajappa, Director General of Police, Home Secretary, Transport Commissioner, and others.
In the same address, Home Minister N Chinarajappa said that more than 3,000 people are killed in road accidents every year in the state and roughly 30,000 people suffer injuries.
The Transport Minister said that 25 toll plazas in the state will be equipped with breath analysers. The minister also added that the state would amend the Transport Act if necessary to hold vehicle owners in case of accidents related to drunken driving.
“If a driver commits a mistake, even the owner should be made responsible for the accident. Even for long journeys, we will insist that two drivers are appointed, to ensure road safety. It is their responsibility," the minister said in the media conference held after the event.
This statement comes just days after 15 people were killed, and several more injured, when a lorry ran amok in Andhra's Chittoor district.
The incident occurred at around 2pm on April 21, and the driver was suspected of drunk driving. Several were crushed by the lorry, and many others were injured after an electric pole fell on them at the accident site.
Most of the victims were staging a protest before the Yerpedu police station, demanding action against illegal sand mining in their native villages when the accident occurred.
Atchannaidu announced several measures, including placing police vehicles every 50 kilometres on highways to track rash driver, and that five police teams and three transport department teams for every district would be formed to ensure that roads are safe. He also spoke of introducing road safety curriculum in schools.
In another incident, 11 persons were killed in March after a bus fell into a culvert on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway.
It was reported that injured passengers were stuck for over four hours in the bus and rescue teams faced major challenges while removing the bodies from the bus as they were crushed between seats.
Taking the spate of accidents into consideration, the Andhra minister went on to say that road safety committees in every district would meet on the third Tuesday of the month to take necessary steps towards accident prevention.