Hyderabad: The Telangana government initiated a child-centric road safety action plan aimed at protecting children and adolescents from road accidents.
The Transport Department organised the first state-level consultation on the Road Safety Action Plan for Children 2030 in Hyderabad. Officials described the initiative as one of the first child-focused road safety exercises in the country.
Transport Commissioner K. Ilambarithi chaired the meeting. PHFI-IPHS Deemed University and UNICEF jointly supported the programme.
Senior officials from transport, police, education, health, municipal administration, Roads and Buildings, HMDA, GHMC and NHAI departments attended the consultation. Representatives from educational institutions also participated in the discussions.
According to experts, road accidents have become a leading cause of deaths and disabilities among children and young people.
Road safety action plan aims to cut fatalities
Data from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways showed that nearly 10,000 children died in road accidents across India in 2023.
Experts also expressed concern over child fatalities among the 7,281 road accident deaths recorded in Telangana during 2024.
Officials said the road safety action plan aimed to reduce accident deaths and injuries by 50 per cent in line with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety targets.
Transport Commissioner K. Ilambarithi said safer roads for children would improve safety standards for every citizen. He said the government would prepare a comprehensive action plan after consultations with departments from urban, rural and tribal regions.
Further, he said Telangana aimed to emerge as a leading state in road safety governance.
During the meeting, officials discussed safe school zones, pedestrian infrastructure, strict traffic enforcement and speed regulation measures.
Participants also reviewed road engineering defects, black spot removal and emergency medical response systems during accidents.
The Transport Department plans to introduce a structured implementation system with clear timelines and institutional responsibilities.