Udupi : Sanjeev M. Patil, Superintendent of Police, said here recently that the police was taking the help of the Department of Civil Engineering of Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) to reduce accidents at black spots in the district.

Speaking to presspersons during the weekly hour-long phone-in programme here, Dr. Patil said that the engineers had visited such spots between Kaup to Hejmady and Udupi to Brahmavar.

The engineers would be studying the reasons for frequent accidents at such spots and offer recommendations for preventing accidents and also ensuring the safety of pedestrians in these places.

It would take about a week for the engineers to submit a draft report.

After receiving the report, he (Dr. Patil) would himself visit these spots and give his suggestions.

The final report would be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner for further action, he said.

A caller urged the police to get the traffic signals working at Diana Circle that saw vehicles coming in from all directions.

It was becoming increasingly difficult for pedestrians to cross the road.

Dr. Patil said that he would direct the Additional Superintendent of Police to visit the places where there was heavy movement of traffic and suggest where the traffic lights were required.

Another caller pointed out that there were over 30 speed-breakers on the Karkala-Padubidri State Highway. These were not helping in reducing accidents. Dr. Patil assured the caller that he would direct the Assistant Superintendent of Police, Karkala, to examine the road.

When a caller said that the barricades placed at several places on National Highway 66 could lead to accidents especially with big vehicles, Dr. Patil explained that these had to be put to check the speed so that other vehicles and pedestrians could move freely.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) should have taken this factor into consideration and made provisions such as under-bridges, foot overbridges, overpasses or flyovers at major intersections of NH 66.

Since requirements such as these had not been put in place, the barricades would have to stay till alternate provisions were made, he said.

Cautionary boards had been put up at 33 of the 69 places where incidents of accidental drowning had been reported in the district. These boards had been put up by the police and various voluntary organisations, Dr. Patil said.