The World Bank Group and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways conducted a study on the 118 km stretch Hyderabad-Bijapur corridor. They found that after implementing the 4E’s (Engineering, Enforcement, Education, and Emergency Care), there was a 38.1 percent reduction in deaths over five years. The Roads and Buildings Department of the Government of Telangana, in partnership with the World Bank Group, built a Road Safety Demonstration Corridor to make State roads safer.
The study, called ‘Road Safety Good Practices’, was conducted by the SaveLIFE Foundation in collaboration with the World Bank Group and Road Transport Ministry. It was released by Nitin Gadkari, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways.
The Hyderabad-Bijapur corridor is 118 km long and passes through the districts of Rangareddy and Telangana. It starts from the APPA junction where it intersects the ORR (Outer Ring Road) and goes up to the Karnataka border. The route goes through several mandals and villages, including Moinabad, Chevella, Manneguda, and Parigi. In 2014, the crash severity on this stretch was 58.7, which was higher than the national average of 28.5 for the same year.
Before the Hyderabad-Bijapur Corridor became a Road Safety Demonstration Corridor, it witnessed 143 crashes and 84 deaths in 2014. This highlighted the need for urgent intervention to improve road safety. To address this issue, the Road Safety Demonstration Corridor project was established to bring together various departments and adopt a convergent approach towards road safety.
Implementing good practices related to the 4E’s of road safety has led to a significant reduction in accidents. Measures such as widening the road, translocating trees, upgrading road furniture, and installing street lighting at intersections have been taken by the R&B Department. Patrolling and interceptor vehicles for the project have been equipped with various safety equipment. To tackle overloading violations, two electronic weighbridges have been installed on the corridor. The operation of ambulances and connectivity to the nearest trauma care center have also been improved.
The project has been jointly funded by the State Government and World Bank, with a total implementation cost of Rs. 297.9 million ($4.3 million).
