'Lack of crossings, subways a threat to road safety'

NEW DELHI: Inadequate number of pedestrian crossings and subways, along with poorly designed and maintained footpaths pose a serious threat to road safety, Special Commissioner (Traffic) Deepender Pathak observed on Friday.

The senior police official was addressing a programme organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on the 'Role of Corporates in Road Safety' here.

Pathak said that negligence of drivers has been identified as the root cause for around 45 per cent of all accidents that took place in Delhi last year.

The Delhi Traffic Police is said to be working on improving the process of nabbing culprits in road accidents, by efficient use of technology, improvement in road infrastructure, stringent punishments and cancelling of driving licence in accordance with the upcoming Motor Vehicle Act amendment.

"Police will very soon be equipped with a new set of guidelines, ensuring stringent measurements to curb the fatalities caused by instances of drunken driving," Pathak further said.

During the programme, FICCI Road Safety Awards 2017 were also given away.