District Magistrate Kathua, Rohit Khajuria, today chaired 5th District Road Safety Committee (DSRC) meeting and reviewed the decisions taken during the 4th meeting besides discussing road safety plan.Several decisions were taken up in the meeting for controlling and minimizing accidents, smooth flow of traffic and implementing effective road safety mechanism.DM stressed for identifying accident prone locations, initiating remedial measures, installation of signages and generating awareness for making roads safer in the district.Regarding removal of encroachments on NH and repair of Dividers/speed retarders, DM directed for constitution of a committee for quick action on encroachment related cases besides speeding up the repair works on NH. He assured the RTO to provide land for automated driving test track and fitness test of vehicles. While highlighting the causes of road accidents, DM directed the Motor Vehicle Department to involve students as well as drivers of passenger vehicles and school buses on quarterly basis so that accident causing factors can be curbed.To sensitize people about latest directions of Supreme Court regarding protection and discouraging any harassment to good smartians or person evacuating the injured so that people shall be encouraged to extend their help during accidents, the DC called upon the CMO and other departments to display the latest directions of supreme court at hospitals.
Helpline number in case of any eventuality besides compilation of road accident data and highlighting it in public domain to prevent accidents are few other issues which were deliberated upon in the meeting.DM directed the SSP to create deterrence among the riders regarding use of helmets while driving two-wheelers.The Chief Education Officer 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.SSP assured the meeting that week long awareness drive will be held to create awareness among the students about the traffic rules. He also advised the engineers to prepare DPR of roads inclusive of erection of crash barriers. He flagged the issue of unauthorized divider cut at different locations of NH, repair/maintenance of railing of bridges at Magar Khad, Kalibari, DayalaChak and other locations, installation of high mast lights at Londi Morh and PS Rajbagh and Passenger Vehicle Bay at major NH intersections to the representative of NHAI.RTO Kathua, Dr. R K Thapa apprised the meeting regarding the action plan and sought proposals from all the stakeholders. He said that a web-based road accident data management system has been devised to curb the frequency of accidents and it is getting updated by regular feedback. Speed calming measures like hoardings depicting speed limits were also installed along the NH, he added.Issues related to curbing straying cattle on NH and the main roads of the district, implementation of Ribbon Development Act in the district and development of way side amenities were also discussed in the Action plan, RTO added.SSP, ADC Basholi, DC State Taxes Lakhanpur, ARTO, CMO, SDM Bani, CEO MC Kathua, EO MC Lakhanpur, Engineers of BRO, PWD, PMGSY, DySP Traffic and representative of NHAI were present in the meeting.