Micro-level Traffic Planning Study Programme Review Meeting
Coimbatore City Police Commissioner K.C. Mahali making a presentation on Golden Hour Trauma Care and Micro Level Traffic Planning Study programme at the Commissionerate on Monday. City Police Commissioner K.C. Mahali has requested the public to come forward with suggestions, opinions and feedbacks for compiling them into a plan for road safety and traffic management for 2009. He was presiding over a meeting convened for reviewing the micro-level traffic planning study programme and networking of hospital ambulances with the city police for ensuring golden hour trauma care to the accident victims. Mr. Mahali said that any new initiative or reform measure initiated without the participation or consultation of the public would meet with resentment initially.
Public participation was of paramount importance since the reforms concern their safety and compliance. Hence, rather than thrusting something on the public in the name of a rule or reform, police have decided to solicit their opinion, feedback and suggestions. Once the plans were drawn in consultation with the public, then the compliance levels were expected to be good. Towards this objective, the public were most welcome to send in their opinions and grievances to the City Police Commissioner either by fax to 0422-2300250, or by letters or by e-mail at copcoimbatorecity@yahoo.com. All the feedbacks received till December 20 would be compiled and made into a prospective plan for traffic management and road safety for implementation in 2009.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic), K. Shanmugavel, retired Professor of IIT Palanisamy, Senior Vice-President of KMCH U.K. Ananthapadamanabhan, Resident Medical Officer of Coimbatore Medical College Hospital Dr. Sivaprakasham, Wing Commander Srinivasan of Air Force Administrative College, M. Padmanabhan, Co-ordinator of Bharatiar University and others took part. In his presentation, Mr. Mahali pointed out that a total of 280 persons had lost their lives in accidents during the period from January 1, 2008 to November 30. Of this, Corporation roads accounted for the highest 133 accidents, followed by Avanashi Road - 32, Sathyamangalam Road - 29, Tiruchi Road - 24, Palakkad Road - 18 and Mettupalayam Road - for 12.
During the last 11 months, April accounted for the highest number of fatal accidents - 41 and October witnessed the lowest - 15 and November accounted for 20 fatal accident deaths. Of the number of people who died in road accidents, 227 were men and 53 were women. In the last 11 months, the city witnessed 1,233 non-fatal accidents and the highest number of injured were motorcycle riders and pillion riders constituting 43 per cent followed by pedestrians accounting for 31 per cent. Singanallur Kamarajar Road, Thadagam Road, L&T Bye Pass Road and Perur Road continue to remain fatal accident-free roads while Maruthamalai Road, Mettupalayam Road, Palakkad Road and Sathyamangalam Road that remained fatal accident free in the month of October had witnessed deaths due to accidents last month.
During the month of November, of the 12 calls received by the control room seeking ambulance for rescue of accident victims, ambulance had rendered service in the case of 10 accidents while in two, private vehicles were used for shifting the victims to the nearest hospitals. Of the 17 persons rescued from the accident sites, 14 had been saved. The Mean Response Time (MRT) taken for rushing ambulance to the aid of a victim which was 12 minutes in July had been reduced to six minutes in November.
