Spate of accidents a consequence of UDF govt.’s attempts to undermine road safety, says Pinarayi Vijayan

Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said that the spate of accidents witnessed on the State’s roads at present and the loss of lives due to this are in part the consequences of the Congress-led United Democratic Front’s (UDF) earlier efforts to dismantle road safety and traffic regulations for political advantage. He said that robust initiatives were implemented to curb road accidents and instil systematic traffic discipline during the tenure of the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, which the UDF had then mocked and opposed.

“The government at the time sought to safeguard lives on the roads by prohibiting dangerous vehicle modifications, installing AI-monitored cameras, and enforcing rigorous, uncompromising inspections. For the sake of mere political gain, the UDF called for covering traffic cameras with baskets and encouraged lawbreakers, effectively undermining safety systems. By declaring that they would remove these measures if they came to power, they politically fostered lawlessness and indiscipline,” said Mr. Vijayan.

In a social media post, Mr. Vijayan pointed out recent accidents in the State, including the one in Nedumbassery, where three people died after they were allegedly hit by a car driven by an intoxicated youth and another in Cheranalloor where a minor, driving dangerously, allegedly claimed the life of a street-side food vendor.

“It is pointless for those who played politics with people’s lives to shed crocodile tears now. Those who spearheaded the destruction of traffic discipline must also bear responsibility for the lives being lost on our roads today. Having sacrificed the State’s road safety for cheap political gains, they must now correct their course and demonstrate a sincere commitment to the enforcement of the law,” he said.