Kochi, Nov 4 (PTI) With around 3,700 people losing their lives in road accidents every year, Keralam is preparing to launch a major campaign to make its roads safer by bringing together public awareness, stricter enforcement and community participation.
The Keralam Road Safety Mission, aimed at reducing road accident fatalities, will be launched on November 15 at 11 am at the Town Hall, state Transport Minister C P John announced on Wednesday.
Actor Mammootty will be the brand ambassador of the mission.
The campaign will be based on the concept of ‘Enlighten and Enforce’, which seeks to raise public awareness about road safety while ensuring strict compliance with traffic rules, he said.
The objective is to reach everyone, from schoolchildren to senior citizens, and make road safety a shared responsibility rather than leaving it solely to the police and transport authorities, John said.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan will head the mission, with the Transport minister serving as its co-chairperson. Ministers from eight departments will be part of the initiative.
The programme will be extended to district and local self-government levels. Safe driving clubs will also be formed to encourage responsible driving.
The mission will focus on accident-prone locations, commonly known as black spots. These spots will be identified and measures taken to improve safety. Planned interventions include improving roads and road signs and widening zebra crossings, the minister said.
Special safety zones will be created near schools, hospitals and places of worship, where pedestrian and vehicular movement often requires greater attention.
The government also plans to include road safety in the school curriculum to familiarise children with safe road practices from an early age, he said.
People will be able to submit their suggestions through a dedicated website and mobile application.
Mammootty’s association with the campaign is expected to help take the road safety message to a wider audience. The government will also seek the support of other film actors, writers and musicians, John said.
The Transport minister called for all sections of society to participate in the initiative, urging the media, voluntary organisations, political parties, religious and community groups, and youth, student and women’s organisations to extend their support.
With thousands of lives at stake every year, the mission aims to bring about a change in people’s road-use habits through awareness, responsible behaviour and strict action against traffic rule violators, the minister added. PTI TGB SSK
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