FOLLOW RULES, ANJANI KUMAR TELLS DRIVERS

Lorries, RTC buses and autorickshaws caused 79 deaths in road accidents last year, according to data with the Hyderabad traffic police. To educate the drivers as part of the 31st Road Safety Week, the Hyderabad police organised an awareness programme in the city on Tuesday, in which about 1,500 members including drivers of RTC buses, vehicles carrying school children, autorickshaws, water tankers and other transport and passenger vehicles were present.

Addressing the gathering, Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar explained the value of life and the necessity of the road safety. Mr Kumar explained the consequence of a fatal road accident and how it affects a victim’s family and society.

The commissioner stressed on the need for following road safety rules. He said the best driver was one who would anticipate the traffic and avert road accidents. He also made the attendees take a pledge to ensure zero fatality as their goal. He felicitated drivers who were never penalised for any traffic violation.

Additional commissioner, traffic, Anil Kumar explained about occurrence of fatal road accidents in the city in the last three years and asked the drivers to ensure that they allow pedestrians to cross the road first and follow traffic discipline.

“Deaths in road accidents have reduced from 303 in 2018 to 271 last year, which is an 11 percent decrease. However RTC buses, lorries and autorickshaws were the reason for 79 deaths in 2019, which needs to be reduced to the minimum,” Mr Anil Kumar told the audience.

According to the police, there were 33 accidents involving RTC buses in 2017 which claimed 33 lives, 24 accidents in 2018 that took 35 lives. Thirty people were killed in accidents involving RTC buses last year, according to data with the police.