A project for Sabarimala pilgrims during the Makaravilakku festival designed by the Kerala government’s Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) that resulted in a 100% reduction in road fatalities was recognised among the top interventions from across the country for improving road safety.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the ‘Road Safety Good Practices in India’ report brought out jointly by the World Bank and NGO SaveLife Foundation. The report could serve as a repository of road safety solutions that can be utilised by different stakeholders across the country.
The annual pilgrimage season to visit Sabarimala temple from mid-November to end-January saw 16 deaths and 77 injuries in 2009-2010. As the temple can only be accessed by narrow roads on the hilly terrain of Pathanamthitta district, there would often be traffic congestion either due to road crashes or vehicle breakdowns. This would also further impact operations of emergency vehicles for rescue and relief efforts and servicing of stranded vehicles. According to the MVD, nearly four crore pilgrims travelled in 80 lakh vehicles in 2017-2018.
