GUNTUR: The state Transport department booked more than 17,600 cases of drivers driving without a seat belt during the period April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s home district, Chittoor, stood first in violation of traffic rules, related to seat belt wearing: 3380 cases were booked. This was followed by East Godavari district with 3030 cases.
Krishna district, the area from which the Chief Minister has been conducting state administration, stood third — with 2781 cases — since the last six months. The official data of the Transport department from its Road Safety Report during the last financial year reveals the traffic violations in the state as a whole, and the district specifically, which DC obtained.
Srikakulam registered the lowest number of violations with 141 cases, Kadapa registered 170 violations and Vizianagaram also registered very few at 209, when compared to other districts in the state.
Violations in various districts are as follows: Anantapur: 1,954; Vishakapatnam: 1,745; Nellore: 1,372; Guntur: 1,263; Kurnool: 596; West Godavari: 504; and Prakasam: 466.
Minister for transportation Sidda Raghava Rao sternly warned the officials during the review meeting held on Saturday that he would not spare any officer if they permitted such violations through corrupt practices.
Wearing helmets a must
The Transport department booked 71,091 cases against two wheeler riders in the state for not wearing helmets, in the period from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016.
Though the state government has not yet been implementing the helmet rule strictly, the cases booked during the last one year reveal that the grounds for implementing the rule exist. This indicates that the government is going to take serious action against traffic rule violators in the state.
The Visakhapatnam transport department registered the highest number of cases at 15,276 whereas Prakasam district transport officials showed poor performance and registered only 1,750. Minister for transport Sidda Raghavarao has been representing the Assembly from Prakasam.
Cases booked for helmetless driving in the various districts are as follows: Krishna: 11,310; Chittoor: 6,345; East Godavari: 6,192; Anantapur: 4,943; Kurnool: 4,762; Guntur: 4,735; Nellore: 4,635; Srikakulam: 3,418; West Godavari: 3,145; Vizianagaram: 3,033; YSR Kadapa: 1,547.
Mr Sidda Raghava Rao directed the officials to implement the helmet rule as a must to avoid loss of life when accidents occurred.
