Frequent accidents involving KSRTC buses on the Wayanad ghat road has prompted the corporation to launch an awareness programme for its drivers.
KSRTC decided to conduct the programme to make drivers more vigilant on the ghat road and hairpin curves. Special instructions on safe driving in hilly terrain would also be issued, besides providing modules on better traffic sense and duties and responsibilities of a driver.
According to KSRTC statistics, its buses were involved in more than 30 accidents in the past three months. Officials said one-third of total accidents reported from the region involved KSRTC buses.
Through the planned programme, the corporation also aims to reduce additional expenses incurred on repairing the buses and for paying compensation to accident victims. According to officials, KSRTC buses are involved in one third of the total accidents reported in the region.
Narrow and smooth roads caused most of the accidents, officials said. Though the National Highways Authority of India has submitted a proposal to the state government recommending the widening of the ghat road to reduce accidents, the proposal was not yet considered.
Officials said the road’s width should be increased to 12 metres from the existing 7.5 metres. Wide roads would reduce accidents and traffic congestions, which have been regular in the ghat section. The consent of the department of forests would be necessary to acquire land in the section.
Earlier, another proposal to lay interlock tiles at hairpins curves was submitted to the government. Laying of tiles at hairpin curves two, four and nine have been completed. However, the work has not been started at the remaining curves.
Kozhikode: The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has decided to organize awareness programme for its drivers with the intention to reduce the number of accidents in the Wayanad Ghat. The decision was taken by the RTC following the finding that the buses of State Road Transport Corporation were involved in most of the accidents reported in the ghat road.
Many long distances buses including limited stop and town-to-town buses and deluxe buses of the RTC frequently involve in accidents, according to the statistics available with the KSRTC. Over 30 accidents involving KSRTC buses were reported in the region in the last three months alone, according to the statistics.
The Corporation also aims to reduce the additional expenses it has to bear for repairing the damaged buses and for paying compensation to the victims of accidents by conducting training programme for erring drivers. According to officials, KSRTC buses are involved in one third of the total accidents reported in the region.
KSRTC officials decided to conduct training programme for drivers to make them more vigilant while driving in the ghat road and hairpin curves. Special directions would also be issued to the drivers on the methods to make their journey safe in the region, they said adding that traffic sense and duties and responsibilities of a driver will be reiterated at the training programme.
Lack of width for the ghat road and smooth surface of the repaired road are considered as the major reason for increasing number of accidents in the region. Though the National Highway authority has already submitted a proposal to the state government demanding the widening of the ghat road to reduce accident, the proposal is yet to be considered by the government.
According to officials, the width of the road in the region is only 7.5 meters which should be increased to 12 meters for avoiding accidents and to reduce traffic congestion. As the land bordering the road is owned by the forest department, consent of the department is required for the widening work, they added.
The proposal to repair the hairpin curves using interlock tiles also is unaddressed. Interlocking work has already been completed at hairpin curves 2, 4 and 9. An estimate, with a cost of Rs.85, was also submitted to the government for carrying out the interlocking work of the remaining curves. However, the proposal is yet to be considered by the government, officials said.
Source: Times Of India
