Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday launched the Safe Kerala project envisaged to reduce the number of on-road accidents and prevent traffic violations in the state.

At a function organised by the Motor Vehicle Department here, the CM said the number of lives being lost on roads due to accidents, and the grief of their families had always been of concern. He said the government wanted to create a situation where no life would be lost on the roads and no one would suffer any physical impairment.

Under the Safe Kerala project, 85 squads, 99 vehicle inspectors and 225 assistant inspectors of the Motor Vehicle Department would be pressed into service.

Stating that the joint transport commissioner would coordinate the Safe Kerala project, Vijayan said there had already been a slight dip in the number of accidents with its implementation. He expressed hope that besides the accident rate, it would also reduce the number of traffic violations.

Violations would be detected using 726 cameras installed on national and state highways across the state, and control rooms would be set up in all 14 districts to implement the project, official sources added.

During the function, the CM also launched smart card driving licences instead of the existing laminated cards in the state.