After fatal crash, Thrissur orders highway safety audit
Thrissur Collector orders urgent joint safety audit of national highways after a fatal accident claimed eight lives.
Following a road accident at Kaipamangalam in Thrissur that killed eight people, District Collector Shikha Surendran has ordered an urgent safety audit of all national highways in the district.
The inspection will be carried out by a special team comprising the NHAI project director, police officials, Motor Vehicles department staff, and representatives of local self-government bodies. The team has been asked to submit a detailed report by Wednesday evening.
The audit will focus on identifying safety hazards, especially along stretches where construction work or diversions are ongoing. Officials will check road maintenance, potholes, waterlogging, footpath conditions, lighting on service roads, and the availability of reflective warning signs.
Teams will also verify whether construction materials are dumped carelessly along roadsides, whether proper barricades are in place, and if traffic wardens are deployed at vulnerable points. Illegal parking will be scrutinised closely.
Structural stability of ongoing construction, safety arrangements for schoolchildren crossing busy roads, and pedestrian facilities will also be assessed.
Separately, the Motor Vehicles department will lead a special inspection. The Local Self-Government department has directed secretaries of all local bodies to conduct road-safety checks in their respective areas.
The Collector has also instructed police and the RTO to intensify the drive against illegal parking, with directions to register FIRs and take strict action wherever necessary.