The Hon’ble Supreme Court has constituted a committee i.e., “Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety (SCCRS)” to oversee the Road Safety related aspects in the country vide G.O. dated 30-5-2014. This Committee will monitor the Road Safety activities across the country. The Committee on Road Safety has directed the State Government to take up measures to improve accident prone locations in the State and also directed that, a time bound programme may be prepared to rectify all the black spots identified. The Committee has been constantly directing the State to prepare Annual Calendar/Protocol for treating black spots.
As per the directions of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety the Government of Karnataka has formulated “Karnataka Road Safety Policy” vide Order no. SARIE/103/SAEPA/2015 dated 21/09/2015, which will act as a guide to the concerned stake holders of the department and to the public with the (a) Vision to provide safe road network for all road users, with priority to pedestrians and cyclists, to achieve zero road accidents in the long run and (b) Mission to reduce accidents by 25% and fatalities by 30% by 2020.
As per the directions and recommendations of SCCRS, the Government of Karnataka framed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and has designed a protocol for identification of black spot, preparation of time bound Action Plan for implementing the rectification measure, Vide G.O. No. PWD:42: EAP:2017, Bengaluru, dt:4-4-2017. As per the protocol issued by the Government, PRAMC shall collect the data of blackspots from Road Safety Cell and shall scrutinize all the data, assign unique codes to the black spots and shall initiate long-term remedial measures for mitigating the blackspots
The Government of Karnataka has constituted Road Safety Authority under ‘The Karnataka State Road Safety Authority Act, 2017’ vide Notification No. SAMVYASHAE:35: SHASANA:2017, Bengaluru, dt:7-12-2017 for the implementation of Road Safety Programmes and the establishment of road Safety fund in the State of Karnataka and for matters connected therewith and incidental thereto.
Further, as per the directions of SCCRS, in order to control the road accidents and fatalities occurring on State Highways and major District Roads of the State and to mitigate the accident Blackspots, Govt. of Karnataka vide G.O. No. PWD:190: EAP:2018, Bengaluru Dt:12-10-2018, has directed ‘Planning and Road Asset Management Centre (PRAMC)’ to work as ‘Permanent Road Safety Cell’ under PWD. As per this G.O, the Road Safety cell shall function under the chairmanship of the Engineer-in-Chief, PRAMC Planning and Road Asset Management Centre (PRAMC) has been entrusted to work as ‘Permanent Road Safety Cell’ under PWD.
The aim of the cell is (1) To form rules as per the IRC provisions to mitigate road accidents in State Highways and Major District Roads (2) Preparing Action plan, Execution, Maintenance and supervision of all Road Safety Works taken up under the Department.
Further, PRAMC are collecting the data of blackspots from the concerned authorities and scrutinizing all the data, assign unique codes to the black spots and are initiating short-term and long-term remedial measures for mitigating the blackspots.
Road Safety Cell has given a total list of 942 black spots in Karnataka state, out of which 214 black spots belong to Public Works Department, these block spots have been identified and will be taken up for improvement.
