Road Safety drive to be ramped up

Mahabubnagar: Taking part in the month-long road safety measures awareness programme on Wednesday, District Collector Viziyendira Boi called for stringent measures to prevent road accidents in the district. Emphasising the need to save lives, she directed officials to take immediate action to enhance road safety across the district.

At a review meeting held at the Collectorate on Wednesday, along with SP D Janaki and other district officials, she stressed the importance of coordinated efforts among departments to reduce accidents. She instructed authorities to identify accident-prone areas (black spots) and implement comprehensive safety measures. As part of the initiative, the Collector ordered the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and police officials to enforce key road safety measures. She directed them to install speed control systems, improve road lighting, and place rumble strips in black spots along NH-44, including Peddammapally, Rajapur, Ranga Reddy Gudem, Mansoor Dhaba, and Addakula Hatcheries. The deadline for completing these works has been set for February 5. Additionally, she instructed officials to undertake temporary repairs on the Mudireddypally-SEZ service road and ensure proper lighting at Ketepally. At Balanagar Underpass, where construction is ongoing, security personnel and warning signboards will be deployed to alert motorists of diversions.

To further enforce road safety, the meeting also decided that starting February 1, two-wheeler riders without helmets would not be allowed entry into the District Collector’s office or any government office.

SP Janaki reported an increase in road accidents in 2024 compared to the previous year. She emphasized the need for immediate response from police, R&B, transport, and NHAI officials after any accident to assess the site and implement safety improvements.