Tirupati: Tirupati district administration has identified 48 black spots that are prone to accidents. It has set a 60-day deadline to implement corrective measures to reduce accidents, including those fatal.
Addressing media ahead of the launch of a special bus yatra at Shilparamam on Tuesday, district collector Dr. S. Venkateswar said their aim is to conduct detailed on-ground inspections of all identified locations. They would then fast-track corrective measures through coordinated action by multiple departments.
The collector said the initiative is being carried out in coordination with the police, Roads and Buildings (R&B), transport and National Highways authorities.
Significantly, Tirupati, along with Nellore and Chittoor districts, continues to report a relatively high number of road accidents. The district records an average of 550 to 560 deaths annually in road accidents. This is largely due to an increasing number of pilgrims travelling to Tirumala by road, fatigue due to long-distance travel, over-speeding because of the expanded highway, lack of helmet use, signal violations, and changing lanes in an unsafe manner.
Dr. Venkateswar said the 48 black spots have been identified based on locations that recorded two or more fatal or serious accidents in the past year. Teams comprising officials from all line departments are jointly visiting these locations as part of the bus yatra. They will assess structural deficiencies, road design issues, and local risk factors, while also gathering inputs from local residents and commuters.
Stating that the exercise follows the zero-death policy directive of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the collector said both immediate and long-term interventions would be implemented on a priority basis to reduce road accidents. These include installation of blinkers, rumble strips, warning signboards, radium markings and improved traffic signalling.
Further, steps are being taken to create rest areas along highways to address fatigue among long-distance drivers.
Speaking on the occasion, Superintendent of police L. Subba Rayudu said a combined approach of enforcement and awareness is being adopted. Enforcement is being strengthened through increased use of breath analysers and speed detection devices to check drunk driving and over-speeding. Accidents are also caused by indiscriminate parking of heavy vehicles at night. This will be addressed by restricting parking of trucks in designated parking bays.
The SP said the joint inspections are helping identify both temporary and permanent solutions, including infrastructure measures, such as underpasses in coordination with highway authorities. He underlined that adherence to traffic rules by motorists remains critical to reducing accidents.
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