Kozhikode, Saturday 21 November 2009: The district administration will initiate various steps to check the increasing number of accidents on the Thondayad-Ramanattukara bypass on the outskirts of the city.

A meeting presided over by Forest Minister Benoy Viswom, who is also the Minister in charge of the district, at the Collectorate here on Friday decided to increase the number of speed-breakers to 10 from the existing five in this accident-prone area.

Another decision was to fix reflectors on existing guard stones and install fresh guard stones to avert accidents during night. These works will be completed within three weeks.

At least three surveillance cameras will be installed at the Thondayad junction to check speeding of vehicles. The city police traffic wing and the Motor Vehicles Department will jointly take steps to monitor speeding of vehicles.

Warning and speed-limit signboards will be displayed by the speed- breakers. Stringent action such as imposing fines will be taken against speeding of vehicles. There will be round-the-clock patrolling to check drunken driving.

Steps will be taken to repair the traffic signal lights at the Thondayad junction. The Vadakara-based Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS) has been entrusted with the work.

A sum of Rs.15 lakh is needed to install streetlights. A committee chaired by the District Collector will take steps for the purpose. Officials from NATPAC, PWD and the KSEB will be included in the committee. There will be representatives of the local bodies on the committee.

Viswom said that accidents took place on a daily-basis on the Thondayad-Ramanattukara bypass. He was witness to six accidents on this route and had the victims taken to hospital in escort vehicles, the Minister said.