Kochi — Kerala Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan on Sunday inaugurated the state Transport Department's 'Jeeva Suyathra Mission' at Ernakulam Town Hall in Kochi and called for strict enforcement of traffic rules over the next six months to reduce road accidents and fatalities, ANI reported. Satheesan said the state was passing through an alarming situation on road accidents, with several people losing their lives on the roads every day.

Source: ANI via APNA MA TV

The Chief Minister said children, youngsters and people who were the sole breadwinners of their families were among those losing their lives, while many others suffered serious injuries and faced lifelong hardships. Road safety, he said, was not the sole responsibility of the Transport Department, the police or the Motor Vehicles Department, but a collective responsibility of every citizen.

Drunk driving, overspeeding, use of mobile phones while driving, and violations of traffic signals and other rules must be strictly controlled, Satheesan said. He said sustained inspections and enforcement over the next six months could help the state develop a better road safety culture within a year, and he warned political leaders against interfering in traffic enforcement.

Actor Mammootty, the brand ambassador of the mission, also spoke at the state-level inauguration and urged youngsters to refrain from performing stunts and racing vehicles on public roads, saying roads were not meant for stunts or races and that such activities could endanger and inconvenience other road users. The function was presided over by Transport Minister C. P. John and was attended by ministers, MPs, the Kochi Mayor, the District Collector and senior transport and police officials, ANI reported.

Target: halve deaths and injuries by 2030

The mission was announced earlier this month by Transport Minister C. P. John. According to that announcement, Kerala records around 3,700 road accident deaths every year, the mission works on the concept of 'Enlighten and Enforce', and its stated goal is to reduce deaths and injuries from road accidents by 50 per cent by 2030. The programme is to focus on accident-prone black spots and create special safety zones near schools, hospitals and places of worship, with the Chief Minister heading the mission and departments, district administrations and local bodies taking it forward.

Source: Urban Acres

Malayalam channel MediaOne also reported the launch in Kochi on Sunday, with Mammootty present as the mission's brand ambassador.

Source: MediaOne