SRINAGAR, JUNE 19: Governor Satya Pal Malik flagged off a new motorcycle squad of the Traffic Police, launched in order to ensure better compliance of road safety measures by the commuters.
K. Skandan and K.K. Sharma – Advisors to Governor; BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Umang Narula, Financial Commissioner to Governor; Asgar Hassan Samoon, Principal Secretary, Transport Department; Dr. S.P. Vaid, Transport Commissioner were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.
Pertinent to mention that during the financial year 2018-19, Rs 567.92 lacs from the Road Safety Fund was spent on procurement of Road Safety Equipment which inter-alia included Laser Speed Cameras with Automatic Number Plate Recognition, Combined Pollution under Control Equipments, Speed Radar Guns with Laser Camera, Hill Recovery Cranes, 110 Motor Cycles for Motor Vehicle and Traffic Departments for increasing mobility of enforcing agency and also to curb traffic violations and ensure road safety for all.
Appreciating the initiative of the Transport Department, Governor observed that the Departments associated with ensuring road safety should formulate good practices for ensuring safety of people on the roads and extended full support of the administration in all their endeavours in this direction.
Governor emphasised the vital importance of following traffic rules and road safety measures for reducing the increasing incidents of road accidents. He observed that strict action should be taken against the violators of traffic rules and only trained persons should be allowed to ply vehicles on the roads. He noted that many accidents take place due to untrained drivers and because of their carelessness many innocent lives are lost.
Governor stressed that officials entrusted with the responsibility of controlling traffic should strictly monitor two wheeler drivers who drive dangerously without any regards for the traffic rules and asked to make good quality helmets mandatory for its drivers.
Governor stressed the importance of educating people particularly youth to generate awareness for following all road safety regulations.
Advisor Skandan lauded the initiative and stressed the need for bringing reforms in road safety management and informed that the government has devised an effective Action Plan for ensuring safety on roads and soon people will see the results of government’s efforts in this direction.
BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary highlighted various steps taken by the government in the domain of traffic management, like constitution of the Jammu and Kashmir Road Safety Fund, which is utilised for meeting expenditures on Road Safety. He advised setting up of sufficient signages along the highways and launching awareness campaigns for reducing the incidence of serious road accidents especially amongst school students.
Samoon described various initiatives taken and measures afoot for strengthening road traffic management in the State. He informed that very soon Diplomas in Disaster Management with stress on road safety will be introduced and children associated with Road Safety Clubs will be given opportunity to create awareness on roads regarding road safety.
The students belonging to various road safety clubs in Kashmir had an informative interactive session with the dignitaries wherein they were apprised about upcoming Trauma centres all along the highways; finalization of corridors for Light Rail Transit System for cities of Srinagar and Jammu with the aim to decongest the present roads; incorporation of chapters on road safety in State Board’s School Books so as to generate awareness among youth etc.
