Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Wednesday, announced that CCTV cameras would be installed in the state of Punjab to reduce death rate in road accidents.Instructing Principal Secretary Transport Mr. Vikas Garg to immediately prepare draft for the camera installation project during maiden meeting to review the situations of the Road Safety Traffic Management and Road safety here at Punjab Bhawan, the Transport Minister said, "the Punjab Government was deeply concerned over the untimely deaths in road accidents in the state and it was best time to adopt such measures to control the traffic in the state and enforce the traffic rules complying with the recommendations of the Supreme Court Committee."
Chairing the meeting of the Punjab State Road Safety Council, S. Bhullar asked the officials to take strict measure to reduce fatality of road accidents by 50% adopting various measures such as preparing, verifying and issuing of driving licenses through Automated Driving Test Stations and also checking of issue of Heavy Driving Licenses to the drivers of passenger transport and goods transport vehicles. It was also decided to strengthening the passing system of the vehicles because the bad condition of vehicles is also cause for number of accidents in the state. The other measures which require urgent attention of the government is to make the Trauma Care Centers (Level-II) operational in Khanna, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Ferozepur and Fazilka, besides creating Trauma Care Centres Facilities at all District Hospitals and all Government Colleges and AIIMS Bhatinda.
As a part of removal of Accidental Black Spots identified during the last 2-3 years, the Minister asked officials of all the road owning departments such as NHAI, PWD (B&R), Local Government and Punjab Mandi Board to rectify 792 Accidental Black Spots on National Highways, State Highways, Municipal Corporation Road and other major roads. To strengthen the Traffic Police in the state, the Minister asked the officials for making request to Home Department to double the strength of traffic police and also re-structuring the Traffic Wing of the Punjab Police to bring the functioning of district Traffic police under the ADGP (Traffic) and permanent deployment of constables so that they can be trained in Modern Traffic Control and Road Safety Equipment.S. Bhullar said that heavy vehicles and trailers parked on roadside were causing accidents.
He directed ADGP (Traffic) to take strict action against such vehicles so that accidents rate could be reduced. He asked ADGP (Traffic) to increase the traffic checking and comply with the directions of Supreme Court Committee regarding over speeding, red light jumping and drunken driving by impounding the licenses of the violators and sending the licenses to concerned RTA, while State Transport Commissioner Mr. Vimal Kumar Setia was asked to purchase road safety equipment such as Recovery Vans, Car Body Cutter, Breath Analyser and interceptors by the Technical and Purchase Committees within next three months time. Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included Principal Secretary Transport Mr. Vikas Garg, Director General Lead Agency Mr. R. Venkat Ratnam, State Transport Commissioner Mr. Vimal Kumar Setia, ADGP (Traffic) Mr. A.S. Rai, Special Secretary Expenditure Mr. Mohammad Tayyab, NHAI Advisor Mr. Kahan Singh Pannu, Additional State Transport Commissioner Mr. Amarbir Singh Sidhu along with officials of Public Works Department (B&R), Health and Family Welfare, Punjab Mandi Board and School Education.