JOIN USCII, govt join hands for road safety
The CII-IQ and Transport Department, on Friday, signed a memorandum of understanding on sharing professional expertise and supporting each other in spreading awareness. As per the MoU, the Department would provide professional support. The CII will bear the expenses for the programmes.
Both the agencies would take up efforts to popularise a voluntary code of conduct for fleet operating companies. The code has been prepared by the CII-IQ and Shell, a group of energy and petrochemical companies. The code of conduct includes driver management, vehicle management and journey management.
CII-IQ chairman K N Shenoy, listing the features of the code of conduct, said regular fitness check of vehicles, maintaining vehicle data base, pre-trip and post-trip checks on cleanliness, electricals, brakes and fuel are mandatory. Drivers should undergo refresher training at a frequency of every six months and there should be rest breaks at regular intervals.
Transport secretary M K Shankarlinge Gowda said nearly 36 lakh vehicles were registered in Bangalore city. Every year the Department had been issuing three lakh more driving licences. Considering the number of licences issued, the City would have 70 lakh vehicles in next 10 years. Unless the road safety measures are not implemented, the traffic would be unmanageable leading to more accidents, he apprehended.
According to the latest figures, on an average 8,500 people die in road accidents in the State per year. Of them 800 die on Bangalore roads. For every six seconds someone is killed or injured on roads. And, India leads the world in the number of road accidents.
Signal-free road
Transport minister R Ashok said road safety had been an issue of serious concern in Bangalore. Proper awareness on maintenance of vehicles and regular breaks for drivers were essential to reduce the rate of accidents. The Department in association with CII-IQ would conduct seminars, workshops, conferences for private operators to make them aware of safety measures and implement them in their organisations.
He said his Department would observe ‘Disciplinary Week’ next week for drivers and conductors of state-owned transport corporations. During the week, the Department would conduct sensitisation programmes on improving their skills and following discipline while on duty.
The minister said the government was contemplating making ring roads and national and state highways connecting Kempe Gowda bus-stand to distant areas, signal free. The proposal is still at planning stage and would be implemented in the coming years.