Ponnam, Vakiti launch road safety initiative in M’bnagar

Children’s Traffic Awareness parks are being set up to instill traffic discipline among students, encourage them to submit written commitments to follow traffic rules 

Metro India News | Hyderabad

As part of the 99-day action plan under Praja Palana Pragathi, Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Vakiti Srihari participated in the “Arrive Alive” road safety programme in Mahabubnagar district on Saturday.

The Ministers inaugurated a Children’s Traffic Awareness Park at Panchavati School, aimed at educating students on traffic rules such as signals, zebra crossings, school and hospital zones, and U-turns. A bike rally was conducted from Mahabubnagar Degree College to Panchavati School to promote helmet awareness, with active participation from motorists. As part of road safety awareness, a health camp and eye camp were also organized, along with demonstrations on CPR.

Students and Ministers formed a human chain, pledging to follow traffic rules and reduce road accidents. Through cultural performances, students highlighted the impact of road accidents on families, especially the hardships faced when a breadwinner is lost. Minister Ponnam Prabhakar administered a road safety pledge to students, emphasising their responsibility in preventing accidents.

The event was attended by MLC Damodar Reddy, MLA Chikkudu Vamshi Krishna, Mayor Mamata, Deputy Mayor Surender Reddy, Transport Commissioner Ilambarthi, RTC MD Nagi Reddy, MUDA Chairman Lakshman Yadav, Minority Finance Corporation Chairman Obedullah Kotwal, District Collector Khusboo Gupta, JTC Chandrasekhar Goud, and other public representatives and officials.

Speaking on the occasion, Ponnam Prabhakar stated that the Transport and Police departments have been jointly conducting “Arrive Alive” awareness programmes for the past week. He pointed out the alarming rise in road accidents, citing recent incidents where 17 people lost their lives.

He stressed the severe impact on families when the primary earning member dies in an accident and said public participation is essential for the success of such government initiatives. The Minister called for collective efforts to make Telangana a road accident-free state. He also highlighted the “Rahaveer Award,” under which individuals who help accident victims reach hospitals within the golden hour are rewarded with ₹25,000, and can receive the award up to five times a year.

The Minister noted that Children’s Traffic Awareness Parks are being set up with UNICEF support to instill traffic discipline among students. He added that students will be encouraged to submit written commitments to follow traffic rules at the beginning of the academic year.

He emphasised that road safety should be treated as a responsibility by every citizen and that district-level road safety committee meetings are being conducted monthly under the supervision of the district collector. He urged everyone to take a personal pledge to follow traffic rules and ensure safety for themselves and others on the road.