VIJAYAWADA: In a bid to reduce road accidents, the Transport Department, with the support of Roads & Buildings Department, has decided to develop demo corridors, with a total length of 1,000 km, in all the 13 districts. As per the information provided by transport officials, the department, in 2012, had mooted a demo corridor, a 139 km-long stretch, between Renigunta and Rayalacheruvu at an estimated cost of `35 crore. The project, which became operational in 2013, was funded by the World Bank, and yielded the desired result of reducing the number of fatalities. Patrolling vehicles continuously monitor the stretch.
Buoyed by the positive response for the project, the department has now decided to develop similar corridors across the State. In November 2018, the World Bank sanctioned `138 crore to the Road Transport Authority (RTA) for expansion of the demo corridor project in accident-prone stretches identified in all the districts of the State. The sanctioned amount will be spent by the RTA and the police department for procuring new patrolling vehicles, speed guns and breath analysers, the officials added.
‘’We have set a target to reduce road accident fatalities by following the suggestions given by the Road Safety Committee, which functions as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court. With the proposed demo corridors, we aim to reduce road accidents by 15 per cent by 2020,’’ said Transport Commissioner PSR Anjaneyulu. Each demo corridor will be developed at an estimated cost of `30 crore and will be equipped with sign and caution boards. Potholes will be repaired and entry of overloaded vehicles will be restricted. An ambulance will also be provided for medical emergencies, he informed.
He further said so far the department has proposed demo corridors between Rajampet-Rayachoti-Kadiri in Kadapa and Anantapur districts, Kondamodu-Pericherla (Guntur), Vijayawada-Punadipadu (Krishna) and Nuzvid- Bhimavaram (West Godavari). Apart from that, the department has also requested district collectors, chairpersons of the regional road safety committees, to identify dangerous roads in their respective jurisdictions with the support of R&B department, Anjaneyulu concluded.
Road network in Andhra Pradesh
6,672 km: National highways
15,406 km: State highways
31,596: District main roads