In Shimla town, parking will be allowed on one side of the road with yellow line and unauthorized parking will be dealt with strictly. This was decided in a meeting regarding road safety held here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.The Chief Minister said that sign boards regarding ‘Authorized Parking Zone’ as well as ‘No Parking Zone’ would be erected in the town. The work on three big parking slots in the town would be expedited whereas district administration and Municipal Corporation, Shimla would identify locations particularly in residential areas where small parking could be developed. This would not only ensure proper parking place for the commuters but also help in decongesting the city roads, he added.Jai Ram Thakur directed the district administration and Municipal Corporation to identify parking areas with yellow line alongside the roads and sites where small parking slots could be developed by 10th July, this year. He said that the state government would also explore various aspects to allow private parking by individuals within the setbacks so that ample parking space could be developed.He said that all the government offices should ensure that they have their own parking with sufficient space so that their vehicles could be accommodated thereby avoiding decongestion of main roads. He said that parking within radius of 50 meters would not be allowed in such places where school children embark and disembark their school buses.
Jai Ram Thakur said that a massive Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities would be carried out in the state to sensitize the people regarding road safety. He said that all the narrow roads would be identified and steps would be taken for widening the same.It was informed in the meeting that over 1,65,000 vehicles are plying daily in the Shimla town. Therefore it is the need of the hour that alternative roads are constructed for the convenience of the people.While expressing grief of the school bus accident in Shimla today, the Chief Minister said that rupees five lakh are being provided to the next of kin of the deceased besides free medical treatment to the injured.The Chief Minister said that condition of transport vehicles would be ensured properly and laxity in this regard would not be tolerated at any cost. All the school buses would be regularly monitored and school management would be sensitized about the safety guidelines which was the ultimate objective of the government for the safety the commuters.Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj and Transport Minister Govind Thakur gave valuable suggestions for improving the roads for safe plying of vehicles during the meeting.Mayor Kusum Sadrate, Deputy Mayor Rakesh Sharma, Chief Secretary B.K. Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretaries Dr. Shrikant Baldi and R.D. Dhiman, Principal Secretary, Transport J.C.Sharma, Principal Secretary, Revenue Onkar Sharma, DGP S.R. Mardi, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sanjay Kundu, Director, Transport J.M. Pathania, Deputy Commissioner Amit Kashyap, Commissioner, MC Shimla Pankaj Rai, Special Secretary to Chief Minister D.C. Rana, Engineer-in-Chief, PWD R.P. Verma and other senior officers attended the meeting.