All’s Well That ENDS Well! National Road Safety Month organized by Mangaluru City Traffic Dept ENDS, was graced by a 2000-plus crowd at Father Muller Convention Centre, Mangaluru
Mangaluru: Emphasising the need to prevent road accidents, Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal said: “It’s our responsibility to save lives. We should understand that our life is important.” ACP (Traffic) Geeta Kulkarni gave a presentation on road safety during the inauguration ceremony of Road Safety Week by Mangaluru City Police at TMA Pai International Convention Centre in Mangaluru on 11 January 2024.
The city police intend to make motorists follow traffic rules and reduce accidents. Traffic policemen and traffic wardens are working under adverse conditions on the city roads for the safety of motorists, the top cop had said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) B.P. Dinesh Kumar said on average 800 accidents are reported every year in Mangaluru city in which 125 persons die and 900 persons get injured. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Geetha D. Kulkarni gave a presentation that comprised videos of some recent accidents in the city and cautioned people against driving without helmets, jaywalking, triple riding, footboard travelling, and use of shrill horns. Resident Medical Officer of Government Wenlock Hospital Sudhakar also spoke. Regional Transport Officer Shridhar Mallad was present.
Traffic wardens Francis Maxim Moras Roshon Roy Sequeira and autorickshaw driver Ramesh Kavoor were felicitated for their service in city traffic regulations. Traffic police inspectors K. Krishnananda, Gopal Krishna Krishna Bhat, Mohammed Sharif, Ramesh Hanapur, and other traffic police personnel were also honoured. Scouts, Guides and NSS volunteers from different educational institutions in the city attended the programme. Also, there was the unveiling of the hoarding of KMC Hospital about road safety at the B.R. Ambedkar Circle. Pro Vice-Chancellor of MAHE Mangaluru campus Dilip G. Naik was present.
All’s Well that Ends Well!-That’s right. Quoting Shakespeare’s words, “But with the word the time will bring on summer When briers shall have leaves as well as thorns, All’s well that ends well; still the fine’s the crown; Whatever the course, the end is the renown “-all I can say is that the organizing committee members of St Aloysius PUC “Pre Unique” two-day mega fest did a marvellous job by organizing this Fest which was a sheer success, and the curtain came down to say “Adios” to the unique and prestigious “Fest” after a glittering valedictory function, held on Saturday, 11 November at the SAC campus.
During the entire Road Safety Week (Month) by Mangaluru City Police, there were a variety of road safety awareness programs conducted as part of the Week, where eminent speakers, including top police officials, delivered talks on topics about Traffic Safety issues. On 14 February 2024, the Valedictory function of the National Road Safety Month was organized at Father Muller Conventional Centre, where nearly 2000 children attended.
Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal speaking on the occasion said that police were booking a majority of traffic violation cases without stopping vehicles on the road, but by watching the violations captured through CCTV cameras and mobile phone cameras of traffic personnel. “Motorists should not think we are not watching. We are vigil on traffic movement through CCTVs installed in different parts of the city. Traffic personnel are also taking photographs of the violators. We are avoiding physical contact for booking cases of traffic violations.”
He also said, “In the last 45 days of 2024, the city traffic police have registered a total of 20,672 cases of traffic violations. Of these, 15,228 cases were based on the photographs taken by traffic personnel, while 5,444 cases were by watching CCTV camera footage at the Traffic Command and Control Centre. A total of 1.59 lakh cases were booked contactless in 2023. As many as 1.12 lakh cases and 84,255 cases were booked in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Acting as per the guidelines of the apex court, the city police have sent to the Regional Transport Office in the last three years a total of 2,079 driving licences (DLs) of traffic offenders for suspension. The RTO has suspended one DL of the 37 DLs sent so far this year. Of the 1,562 DLs sent in 2023, 25 were suspended. In 2022, 480 DLs were sent and 44 were suspended.
Effective traffic enforcement, Agrawal said, had led to a 14% drop in the number of accidents in January 2024, when compared with accidents reported in January 2023. A total of 65 accidents (12 fatal and 53 non-fatal) were reported in January 2024, while 76 accidents (nine fatal and 67 non-fatal) were reported in January 2023 in the four city traffic police stations, he said. Senior Regional Transport Officer Shridhar Mallad said authorities were focusing on five Es — engineering, enforcement, education, trauma care and empathy — and bringing down accidents by 50%.
Director of Father Muller Charitable Institutions Rev Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho also speaking on the occasion said that Father Muller Institution has always joined the police department, and other district administration departments in their activities or awareness programmes, by allowing to use our conference halls, Convention Centre FREE of cost, aimed at a good cause, and for this programme the Convention Centre was given Free. ” We at FMCI are always committed to the safety and betterment of the community, and programmes like these organized by the police dept will go a long way in making a difference in the society”.
Praveenchandra Shetty, an Insurance surveyor/chartered Valuer/ Road safety Warrior spoke on the topic “Role Of Youth in Road Safety”, where he said, ” Like Charity Begins At Home, Road Safety also should begin at home. In these 30 days of National Road Safety Month, this initiative was taken up to protect and save the youth of our nation from unforeseen road traffic accidents that are avoidable by involving ourselves in our day-to-day activities. Because of your active participation in these programmes, You all have become Volunteers to spread Road Safety Awareness and hereafter you all should become Road Safety Warriors”.
“The moment you see your classmates, friends or any commuters riding a two-wheeler without wearing a helmet, call them out …“Hello Uncle… Wear Your Helmet” or “Hello Aunty… Wear Your Helmet” irrespective of their age, and point out their grave mistake. This “Hello Uncle” & “Hello Aunty” sends the road safety message very effectively And, this “Hello Uncle” “Hello Aunty Movement”. This “Hello Uncle” &“Hello Aunty” sends the road safety message very effectively’ added Alva.
Saying, “What do we expect from you?, Alva said, ” You should practice the Road Safety Lessons you learnt in your daily life; You should preach these lessons to your younger siblings; You should preach these lessons to your parents; You should preach these lessons to every commuter when they violate these rules when you are on the move….Watch & Correct them And we should appreciate and extend heartfelt thanks to our most efficient and active ACP (Traffic) Mrs. Geetha Kulkarni and her team who toiled day and night in the last 30 days to make this National Road Safety Month 2024 a very meaningful, very effective successful one; not only in Karnataka but in the whole of India”.
Prizes were given to students who won in the essay, reels, and placard competitions held as part of Traffic Safety Month. During the occasion, a presentation of a video along with a talk on Road Safety Issues was handled by ACP Ms Geetha Kulkarni, which received rousing applause from the audience. A few police personnel were felicitated for their vital role in serving society with dedication, Commitment and Sacrifice, and also for bagging the Indian President’s Award. On the dais, DCP (Crime & Traffic) B P Dinesh Kumar; Regional Transport Officer Shridhar Mallad; DCP (CAR) S Y Patil; Fr Richard Coelho- Director, Father Muller Charitable Institutions; among others.
