Deputy Commissioner, Ramesh Kumar chaired a meeting of District Road Safety Committee here today. DC reviewed the action taken on the decisions of the last meeting and issued instructions to adopt a multi-pronged strategy addressing education, enforcement, engineering and emergency care, to improve safety on roads as recommended by “The National Road Safety Policy 2010” and directions of Supreme Court of India.
Several important decisions were taken in the meeting regarding minimizing accidents, smooth flow of traffic and implementing effective road safety mechanism.Deputy Commissioner directed the Motor Vehicle Department and the Traffic Police to organize Road safety awareness programs in collaboration with the Education, Health and other departments for the young drivers and also for the drivers of Passenger service vehicles especially the drivers of school buses. Chief Education Officer Kathua was directed to issue directions to all the schools to strictly follow the guidelines of the Supreme Court regarding maintenance of the School buses and installation of speed governors and to issue strict instructions to the principals for not allowing any student in the institute’s premises without license or helmet.
The DC directed the RTO, Traffic department and the Local Police to check the overloading in passenger vehicles particularly during the peak hours besides organizing mass awareness program regarding traffic rules and regulations. He directed authorities of National Highway Authority of India, BRO and PWD to ensure Highway Patrol, provision of crane, signboards, blinkers and signboards specifically for identified black spots (accident prone areas). He also directed to immediately repair the potholes and damaged dividers on the National Highway which are a cause of accidents. He also directed the NHAI, R&B and BRO to remove the encroachments from the pedestrian pathways and service roads with the assistance of concerned area Magistrates and SHOs and install hoardings displaying speed limit and emergency/Ambulance numbers along the Highway.EO MC Lakhanpur was directed to conduct a survey to identify the hoardings which are causing hindrance in driver`s visibility and remove them to prevent accidents.
Traffic department was also directed to organize regular nakas during school hours to discourage the practice of driving without helmets besides challan for over speeding and overloading. He asked for compounding of all school and commercial vehicles running on illegal LPG Kits. He further directed the concerned authorities to regularly check driver`s license besides keep tab on overloading in school buses.RTO Kathua was further directed to create a social media page exclusively to disseminate latest information, dos and don’ts besides information for general public.DC also issued directions to SDM’s to involve Tehsildar and Naib Tehsildars to enforce the traffic regulations and book the offenders for violation of Motor Vehicles Act, in their respective jurisdictions for which powers have already been delegated by Transport Department.DC exhorted upon traffic and police officers for conducting joint inspection regarding over speeding and riding without helmet with seizure of vehicle and punishment under specified law to create deterrence.Deputy Commissioner directed all the members to make coordinated efforts to ensure safety on roads and mass awareness about the traffic norms .SSP Kathua, RTO, Project Director NHAI, Engineers, representative of BRO and other officers were also present in the meeting.