GUNTUR: Wearing of helmets by two-wheeler riders and seat belts by four-wheeler drivers is mandatory from March 16, said district collector Kantilal Dande.
Speaking at a meeting on road safety at the DRC Hall here Monday, he said, “To prevent accidents, we are prohibiting triple riding on bikes and over-loading in auto-rickshaws.”
The collector directed the officials to place indication marks in accident- prone areas and to restrict the entry of auto-rickshaws on national highways. He said speed-breakers should be arranged with proper measurements at required areas.
He asked the officials concerned to purchase 10 breathalysers to identify drunk driving cases in the daytime. “If cases related to traffic violation are registered against persons more than three times, their licences will be cancelled,” Kantilal Dande warned.
Rural superintendent of police Ch Rama Krishna said about 1,300 persons were injured while 529 died in road accidents that occurred in the district last year. “In the state, 18,000 people died and fine amounting to `9 lakh was collected from the traffic violators,” he added.
District revenue officer K Naga Babu, municipal corporation commissioner Kanna Babu and deputy transport commissioner Prabhudas Kumar were present.
At another meeting, the distirct collector ordered the corporation, revenue and police officials to immediately remove the unauthorised flexis, banners and statues in the district as per the Supreme Court order.
Speaking at the meeting, he said, 755 unauthorised statues, banners and flexis were identified in the district, out of which 126 are located in Guntur urban area, 46 in West Guntur, 342 in Mangalagiri and 241 in Nallapadu. All these statues were mostly found on the pavements, sideways and at public spaces, creating problems for free flow of traffic,” he informed.