Kottayam: An RTI document from the Transport Minister's office proved wrong the figures given by the State Government in the High Court and that by Transport Minister Antony Raju in the Assembly, claiming that the number of accidental deaths has come down with the installation of cameras on the road.
An RTI query sought details of accidents, deaths, and injuries in the state in August this year. It was answered that the number of accidents increased by 18.9 percent, the death toll increased by 14.9 percent, and the number of injured by 21.1 percent. The reply also stated that the accident rate had increased in August this year.
However, the government figures presented for August this year in the High Court are as follows: 1065 accidents, 58 deaths, and 1,197 injured. The government had told the court that with the installation of AI cameras, accidents and deaths have come down significantly compared to August 2022. When Manorama reported that this was wrong, the minister held a press conference and claimed that the figures submitted to the High Court were correct.
The Transport Department's General Information Officer and Assistant Transport Commissioner, Tojo M Thomas have answered the RTI query.