A meeting of the District Road Safety Committee was held today under the chairmanship of District Magistrate Ramban, Mohammad Alyas Khan alongside Transport Commissioner J&K, Vishesh Paul Mahajan to review and strengthen safety measures to minimize road mishaps on National Highway-44 (NH-44) and other roads in the district.
The meeting was attended by Senior Superintendent of Police Arun Gupta; Senior Superintendent of Police Traffic NHW Raja Adil Hamed; CPO Dr. Shakeeb Ahmed and officers from all concerned departments.
The Transport Commissioner briefed the meeting regarding the road safety measures taken by the Transport Department in Jammu and Kashmir, with focus on awareness campaigns, strict enforcement drives against traffic violations and regular monitoring of vulnerable stretches to minimize road mishaps.
He highlighted that coordinated efforts by enforcement agencies, NHAI, PWD, and district administrations are vital to ensure safety of the commuters. The Transport Commissioner stressed on curbing over-speeding, overloading, underage driving, use of mobile phones while driving, and drunken driving, while emphasizing strict enforcement of traffic rules to ensure safer roads.
He directed NHAI authorities to share details and CCTV footage of traffic violations inside Nashri tunnel, including overloading and lane discipline breaches, for strict action. He also asked the District Road Safety Committee to identify suitable land for establishing roadside basic facilities for drivers.
The District Magistrate Ramban directed all departments to adopt stringent measures to ensure road safety. To enhance pedestrian safety, the DM instructed NHAI to construct overhead footbridges at identified locations along the Nashri–Banihal stretch.
Enforcement agencies were directed to seize unfit vehicles and those lacking valid documents, while the ARTO was asked to strictly regulate both E-autos and fuel-based autos as per norms. Further, PWD and PMGSY were tasked to conduct a safety audit of their roads, formulate a plan for installing crash barriers and signboards at vulnerable locations, and ensure proper maintenance by rectifying black spots.
NHAI was also directed to ensure patchwork on NH-44, remove hoardings and boards obstructing visibility, and take measures to prevent accidents. On the suggestions of the SSP Ramban and SSP Traffic, the meeting underscored the need for installation of more CCTVs.
The District Magistrate directed CMO to make Trauma Centre Ramban functional to provide immediate medical assistance to accident victims and strengthen emergency response systems. The DM directed all the Departments to work in coordination with all stakeholders for ensuring safer and accident-free roads across the district.