Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao on Thursday, April 9, directed all District Collectors to prioritise road safety and come up with creative, locally relevant solutions to reduce accidents.
He held a video conference with the District Collectors to review the implementation of the “Arrive Alive” programme, a key initiative under the 99-day Praja Paalana-Pragati Pranalika.
The “Arrive Alive” programme will be conducted across the state from April 13 to 18, with a series of focused activities aimed at enhancing public awareness and promoting responsible road usage.
He instructed that District Road Safety Committee meetings be convened immediately to plan and effectively implement the week-long programme. He also underscored the importance of involving local public representatives to ensure wider outreach and community participation.
The Chief Secretary observed that while the state government has been proactively implementing several road safety measures, the number of road accidents continues to rise. He attributed this to the rapid increase in the number of vehicles, improved road infrastructure leading to higher speeds, lack of adequate driver training, over-speeding and reckless driving behaviour.
Ramakrishna Rao reiterated that the success of the programme depends on coordinated efforts, public participation and sustained awareness campaigns, with the ultimate goal of saving lives and ensuring safer roads across the state.
Director General of Police (DGP) B Shivadhar Reddy stated that the programme is not a routine exercise but a comprehensive, multi-departmental effort involving coordination among various stakeholders.
He pointed out that pedestrians and two-wheeler riders constituted a majority of the road accident victims, highlighting the urgent need for targeted awareness campaigns. He also noted that significant progress has been made in road safety measures over the past three months.
Senior officials, including Special Chief Secretary Vikas Raj, Principal Secretary (Health) Christina Z Chongthu, Secretary (Planning) Gaurav Uppal, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Commissioner RV Karnan, along with District Collectors, Superintendents of Police, and Commissioners of Police participated in the video conference.
