Police Involving Various Stakeholders In Road Safety
Coimbatore Corporation Deputy Commissioner V. Shanta and Mayor R. Venkatachalam watch a presentation on road safety measures by City Police Commissioner K.C. Mahali on Friday. In an attempt that sought to break inter-agency barriers, the city police have sought the support of the councillors of the Coimbatore Corporation in turning the city’s roads accident-free. Initiated by City Police Commissioner K.C. Mahali, the new exercise is based on an inclusive approach of involving various stakeholders in road safety. It is also based on the fact that most of the roads and pavements in the city belong to the Corporation and the conviction that, therefore, the civic body can play a crucial role in accident prevention through proper road engineering.
At a city police-Corporation interface organised by the civic body on Friday to discuss the co-ordination with the police, Mr. Mahali pointed out that of the 259 fatal accidents from January 1 to October 31 this year, 132 were on the Corporation’s roads. “It is not that we do not have enough road space. “The problem lies in mismanagement of space,” he said, pointing at encroachments and also structures and trees that make visibility difficult.
The Police Commissioner showed Mayor R. Venkatachalam, Corporation officials and councillors photographs that had been taken of death traps on roads, such as open drainage canals at curves. “Let us have a heart for the pedestrians. Of the total number of accidents, 35 per cent involved pedestrians. “When trees or other structures encroach pavements, the pedestrians walk on the road and get hit by vehicles,” he said.
“I am not finding fault with the Corporation. I only request that the problems be rectified,” he clarified. The Commissioner suggested that a model road with the median and pavements be formed as per specifications that had been laid down. If it improved the situation, the model could be replicated across the city for the benefit of the people. The Mayor told the councillors that they could submit to the police officials the traffic problems in their wards and suggestions to solve these.
Mr. Mahali was certain that joint efforts would save lives. “The police worked with the Corporation engineers and councillors in identifying accident-prone zones and put up barricades, median and speed breakers. “This brought down accidents from 11 in September to eight in October,” he said at the meeting. On what role the councillors could play, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) K. Shanmugavel said they could talk to the public in their wards on the impact of fatal accidents on the families of the victims and the ways to prevent such tragedies.