VISAKHAPATNAM :With stress of heavy vehicle drivers being recognised as among the top 10 causes of the road accidents, the Centre has decided to set up restrooms, washrooms, healthcare centres for the drivers on national highways.
As the drivers do not have proper sleep during their back-to-back week-long duty, it induces fatigue which leads to accidents, experts say. Union Surface Transport Ministry’s reports says, road accidents claim 1.5 lakh lives per annum in the country lack of proper rest of drivers has been identified among the top 10 reasons for road mishaps.
The Union Ministry of Surface Transport has decided to set up amenities like restrooms, washrooms, healthcare facilities and recreation centres for the heavy vehicle drivers on national highways.
Union Minister for Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari, during his recent vist to the city to attend the national road safety week, said that the Centre had decided to increaase the present 78,000 km of national highways to 2 lakh km to ensure 80 per cent traffic is on the highways.
Professional drivers
By bringing all the drivers into organised sector, the Centre has decided to usher in several reforms in the transport system, said transport officials.
According to the reports of World Health Organisation , as many as 11 persons die and 40 persons are severely injured per one lakh population in India. In the cross country comparison of road accident deaths and injury, India is in the sixth place in the world, while Canada and Denmark are in the first and second places, the official said.
“The issue is very important and it should be addressed in a proper manner. Stress of the drivers is of serious concern and it should be arrested on par with the drunk driving, Gadkari had said.
The Union government was ready to set up roadside amenities if the state governments provide 4 acres of land for each rest centre. At least one rest centre should be established at every 300 km.
The minister said that restrooms, washrooms, recreation, lockers and shops would be established in each centre.
The government was also ready to provide an emergency medical centre with a qualified doctor and para medical staff at the centres, according to Sandeep Kumar Sultania, the Telangana Commissioner of Transport.