Amaravati, Nov 26 (LatestNewsX) – Facing a steep rise in road mishaps, Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu urged officials to commission third‑party audits to pinpoint the causes behind the state’s growing toll of accidents.
These independent reviews aim to determine whether crashes stem from vehicle defects, driver negligence, or shortcomings in road design. At a Road Safety Council briefing held in the Secretariat, the CM cited the grim statistics: 6,433 fatalities across 15,462 crashes this year, placing the state eighth nationally.
The CM highlighted that one‑third of incidents involved two‑wheelers, while 53 % were self‑accidents involving cars and scooters. He ordered investigations into the high death rates in districts such as Nellore, Tirupati, Palanadu, Annamayya, and Kakinada.
Officials reported that 79 % of accidents arise from speeding, 3 % from wrong‑side driving, and 1 % from alcohol or mobile use. Over‑half of crashes (42 %) occur on national highways, with 21 % on state roads.
The Chief Minister reviewed the establishment of road‑safety bodies at state and district levels, the State Road Safety Fund, the rectification of bad‑patch areas, crash‑barrier installation, and driver‑training programmes. He mandated a quarterly Road Safety Council meeting to monitor progress and demanded the enforcement of speed‑governors on all transport vehicles, with the possibility of extending the rule to non‑transport vehicles.
In addition, he directed National Highways and R & B officials to place CCTV cameras every 500 metres on both sides of highways to monitor speed, linking the footage to the Real‑Time Governance Society (RTGS) and creating a dedicated control room for vehicle tracking.
The CM stressed that vehicles exceeding speed limits should be seized despite prior warnings, and insisted on swift action within three months to enforce speed control. He called for compliance with Supreme Court Committee guidelines and the setup of a modern driver‑training centre.
He urged the rapid completion of the Darshi and Adoni training facilities, the repair of road signs, black‑spot rectification, and the creation of pedestrian amenities and clear road markings. A total of 680 black‑spots on national highways are to be repaired.
Naidu also warned against unauthorized vehicle modifications that violate the Bus Building Code, suggesting alternative solutions to curb the rising severity of accidents linked to illegally converted sleeper buses. He proposed a study on registration practices in northeastern states like Nagaland, recommending changes for Andhra Pradesh and a letter to the Centre regarding sleeper‑bus permits across states.
Officials reported that 134 buses with unauthorized tourist permits have already been seized, and ongoing checks include school buses.
Attendees of the meeting included Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy, DGP Harish Kumar Gupta, senior officials from the Road Safety Authority, Transport Department, National Highways, Municipal Administration, and other departments.
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