Road safety drive takes off Young

At heart

The Zindagi Jiyo Campaign for Road Safety was launched in the city on Friday with much enthusiasm. The campaign, initiated by Apollo Hospitals and supported by Deccan Chronicle, started with a huge rally of Cyberabad traffic police, professional bikers from bikers’ clubs and members of the public.

The campaign was officially launched at the Apollo Hospitals in Jubilee Hills by the bikers’ club, Hyderabad Sunrisers, the city traffic police and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. The official logo was unveiled and the road safety pledge was read out by C.V. Anand, the additional commissioner of police (traffic). This was followed by the signing of the pledge by the Sunrisers team members and senior city officials.

Former cricketer Kris Srikanth, who is the Sunrisers’ ambassador, wittily said, “If you try to play Dale Steyn across the line, you will get out. Similarly, if you crisscross through the traffic on the road, you will surely have trouble.” V.V.S.

65-year-old biker Venkat Ram Naidu with his unique motorcycle stood out in the crowd. “I am here for road safety. Also, youngsters must respect older people on the road. Older motorists are not the same as younger ones and they might not respond the same way as the younger ones,” he said. Laxman, who is known to be a campaigner for road safety, also endorsed the campaign.

Sangeetha Reddy, executive director, Apollo Hospitals, outlined the loss that road accidents cause to families and said simple precautions can prevent them.

The rally that followed was flagged off from the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate by the police commissioner of Cyberabad C. Tirumala Rao.

Prior to the launch of the campaign, several people who have either been victims of accidents or lost close ones in road accidents recounted their tragic tales.