Hyderabad: Telangana government on Thursday launched a child-centric road safety action plan to protect children and adolescents from road accidents across the state.
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 country’s first child-focused road safety exercises.
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 joined the discussions.
Experts said road accidents had become a leading cause of deaths and disabilities among children and young people. Therefore, officials stressed the need for coordinated action and stronger safety systems.
Road safety action plan targets safer school zones
Data from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways showed that nearly 10,000 children died in road accidents across India during 2023.
Officials also expressed concern over child fatalities among the 7,281 road accident deaths reported in Telangana during 2024.
The road safety action plan aims to reduce accident deaths and injuries by 50 per cent in line with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety targets.
K. Ilambarithi said safer roads for children would improve public safety standards for all citizens. Moreover, he said Telangana planned to emerge as a leading state in road safety governance.
During the consultation, officials discussed safe school zones, pedestrian infrastructure, strict traffic enforcement and speed regulation measures.
Participants also reviewed black spot removal, road engineering defects and emergency medical response systems during accidents.
The Transport Department plans to introduce a structured implementation system with clear timelines and defined institutional responsibilities.
