PANAJI
The State government is planning to install CCTV cameras at major road intersections and accident prone zones across the State to check traffic violations and curb the rising cases of road accidents.
Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho said the project to install these CCTV cameras will be taken up on a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) basis.
Godinho who was speaking to the media on the sidelines of a function held to distribute compensation cheques to families of road accident victims said, high-end cameras will be installed which can capture video footage even at night.
"A lot of violations happen at night. Drinking and driving on the roads is like a ticking bomb. Anytime it can explode and innocent people become victims," Godinho said.
Earlier, compensation cheques of Rs 2-lakh each were handed over to the kin of 23 road accident victims by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant under an existing scheme of the transport department.
Sawant in his speech expressed concern over the high accident rate in the State. Citing statistics of the last 10 years, he revealed that on an average around 250 persons have been dying in road accidents every year in the State.
He expressed concern over the high rate of road fatalities and appealed to locals as well as tourists to maintain discipline on the roads and rigorously follow road safety and traffic rules.
Sawant also advised two-wheeler riders to compulsorily wear safety headgear (helmets) not merely as a measure to avoid the challans and fines imposed for violations but as a preventive measure.
Wearing helmets, he said, reduces head injury in the event of an accident and has the potential of significantly reducing road fatalities.
Sawant also said that for the next whole year, the Transport department and the PWD will jointly survey the State's road network and implement rectification measures after identifying problem areas.
"If road design measures including cutting stretches to reduce the sharpness of curves needs to be done, it will be done," Sawant said.
