Stressing to reduce the road accident mortality rate by 50 percent in the state, Punjab Transport Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar today reaffirmed the commitment of the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government to prioritize saving lives on Punjab's roads. "Our goal, S. Laljit Singh Bhullar stated, is to significantly reduce the mortality rate in road accidents."
While addressing the valedictory session of the two-day Workshop and Training on Road Safety, organized by the Lead Agency on Road Safety 'Punjab State Road Safety Council', at MGSIPA here, the Cabinet Minister emphasized the need for all stakeholders and officials from various line departments to work in tandem with unwavering dedication to protect every precious life.
S. Laljit Singh Bhullar inspired all participants by encouraging them to take a solemn vow and urged each participant to pledge to save at least 10 lives individually as a collective effort to reduce the accident mortality rate and achieve the road safety target.
Transport Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar issued a stern warning to traffic violators of younger age, emphasizing that both the violators and their parents should be held responsible for the traffic violations and committed offence, sharing the consequences. This strict approach would help in deterring reckless behavior on the roads, he added.
Mr. R Venkat Ratnam, Director General of the Lead Agency on Road Safety highlighted the workshop's objective of creating an effective mechanism for saving lives in road accidents and addressing gaps in road safety measures. He expressed hope that the workshop would emphasize the importance of road safety and help in developing further strategies to save lives in road accidents.
Mr. R. Venkat Ratnam informed that Rs.4 crore has been allocated to the Deputy Commissioners of the state under the first phase for the "District Road Safety Committees." He said that larger districts get Rs.20 lakh each, while the smaller districts get Rs.15 lakh each for implementing road safety and traffic management measures.
This amount is being utilized by the Deputy Commissioners for undertaking various road safety and traffic management measures and also for awareness campaigns. He said that one of the objectives of conducting the workshop is to ensure proper utilisation of these funds.
ADGP Traffic S. Amardeep Singh Rai underlined that saving lives should be the top priority for everyone without exception, urging the public's support in adhering to traffic rules. Prof. Umesh Sharma, HOD, Department of Civil Engineering, Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh shared insights into road safety engineering aspects for urban and highways, including geometric designs, signage, markings, street furniture, intersections, roundabouts, cash barriers and traffic calming measures.
Dr. K.K. Gupta, Joint Director, Engineering, Lead Agency, PSRSC spoke about Supreme Court of India guidelines and the role of the Lead Agency, emphasizing its focus on road safety meetings and safety funds. The workshop saw active participation from ADCs, SPs, SDMs, SEs, XENs, SMOs, Assistant Civil Surgeon, EOs, doctors, officers of the Traffic Police, Secretaries of RTAs, NHAI Engineers, representatives of NGOs and other officials from the district administration, further highlighting the collective commitment to enhancing road safety in the state of Punjab.