Telangana govt pushes for tougher road safety measures

The State government has stepped up efforts to curb rising road accidents with a renewed focus on enforcement, awareness and inter-departmental coordination, as part of the “Arrive Alive” programme under the 99-day Praja Palana–Pragathi Pranalika.

At a high-level review held at the Secretariat on Friday, Roads & Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar underscored the urgency of treating road safety as a public movement rather than a routine administrative exercise.

Flagging alarming trends, the Ministers noted that road accidents are claiming more lives than several health-related causes, with a significant proportion of victims in the 18–40 age group. Telangana recorded over 22,000 accidents and more than 6,200 deaths in 2025, with nearly 20 fatalities occurring daily.

Komatireddy Venkat Reddy stressed that negligence, particularly by heavy vehicle drivers, is a major contributor to fatalities and called for stricter legal provisions, including non-bailable offences in cases of fatal accidents caused by negligence. 

He also sought tighter regulation of heavy vehicles and firm action against drunk driving, rash driving, mobile phone usage while driving and overloading.

Pointing out that a majority of accidents are preventable, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said measures such as helmet usage, improved signage, zebra crossings and rectification of black spots could significantly reduce fatalities. He cited ongoing works to address 17 accident-prone locations on the Hyderabad–Vijayawada highway and stressed the need to prevent roadside parking of heavy vehicles, especially at night.

Calling for a wider behavioural shift, the Minister advocated intensified awareness campaigns involving students, drivers and the general public, and suggested roping in film personalities to amplify messaging.

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, meanwhile, proposed institutionalising road safety at the grassroots level by constituting village Road Safety Committees, led by local representatives and involving community members. These panels would identify local risk factors, monitor compliance and conduct regular awareness drives.

He emphasised achieving 100% helmet usage, promoting “zero accident villages” and integrating road safety education into school curriculum.