Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Aug 7: Transport minister R Ashok said that his department is mulling the practicability of cancelling the driving licences of the drivers who commit more than two road accidents or repeatedly violate road rules. He shared this information at a seminar on 'youth and road safety' organized at M S Ramaiah Medical College in the city on Thursday August 6.

Ashok expressed his concern over the increasing number of road accidents in the city and elsewhere in the state, that claim about 25 lives every day and results in injuries to over 100 people. With the increase in the number of vehicles, the number of accidents too is rising. Bangalore had about 13 lac vehicles in 1990. This has gone up to 30 lac now. About 83 lac vehicles move about in the state's roads on a daily basis, he explained.

Giving statistics, Ashok said in 40% of the accidents, pedestrians lose their lives while on the second place, are the two-wheeler drivers who account for 22% of deaths. "Because of this phenomenon, road safety lessons have been included in the text books at primary and high school levels, " he explained.

Ashok advised the schools to appoint drivers with not less than five years of experience for the school vans and wanted a teacher to be compulsorily present in school buses when children travel in them. He opined that the school heads and the parents of the students can improve the situation by coming together.

Additional police commissioner (city traffic) Pravin Sood, Gokul Education Trust president Dr M R Jayaram and various other dignitaries took part in th eprogramme.