A meeting of the District Road Safety Council (DRSC) held on Saturday decided to carry out a comprehensive road safety audit in the wake of frequent accidents in Alappuzha. The audit will be conducted by a joint team of officials from various government departments. The report will be submitted to the DRSC.
The meeting chaired by District Collector Haritha V. Kumar entrusted National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) to study and submit a report on installing traffic signal systems at the newly constructed Shavakottapalam (Powerhouse bridge) and Kommady bridge in Alappuzha town. DRSC also discussed ways to reduce accidents near schools in the district. It directed respective departments to conduct a road safety audit and submit the report.
It further decided to initiate measures to ease traffic snarls on National Highway 66 between Aroor and Thuravoor, where construction of a 12.75-km-long elevated highway is progressing. Officials said that they would soon chalk out a plan to divert traffic. DRSC directed the authorities to install blinker lights at the Collectorate junction in Alappuzha. The meeting also decided to initiate legal proceedings against vendors encroaching on footpaths.
District Police Chief Chaitra Teresa John, Regional Transport Officer (enforcement) K.C. Antony, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) Ramesh Kumar, Resident Engineer (National Highways Authority of India) Nandakishore Singh, Public Works department Executive Engineer Biju V. and others attended the meeting.
