Punjab constitutes committee to form state road safety policy

Chandigarh, July 23, 2014:  The Punjab Government today constituted a committee to prepare a blueprint of State Road Safety Policy within one month.
This decision was taken in a high level meeting of Punjab State Road Safety Council presided over by Punjab Transport Minister Ajit Singh Kohar, who also mooted a proposal to open Institute of Driving Training and Research Center and Regional Driving Training Center in association with Union government. Kohar also asked the public works department to correct and put right the black spots falling on National Highways and State Highways in next two years.
Taking cognizance of ferrying passengers in trucks, tractor-trolleys and some other vehicles, Kohar said such exercises often leads to road accidents and imposing ban on ferrying passengers in these vehicles was need of the hour. The meeting decided to put embargo on these vehicles by adopting strict measures. The Road Safety Council has decided to cancel the permit of truck and tractors-trolleys ferrying passengers besides cancelling the license of drivers responsible for such exercises.
Kohar also asked Education, Transport and Police department to work in consonace with each-other to ensure the safety of students going to schools in buses of educational institutes. He said that School managements should also be involved under this program to implement the same at ground level. He also directed schools managements to follow the ruling of Apex court and Motor Vehicle Act-1988 to run their buses besides ensuring the installation of speed governors in all buses with a maximum speed of 40 km per hour. He said the school buses should also be shaped according to AIS Standard 063 and concerned principal would ensure installation of Speed governors.
In a major decision regarding roadside encroachments, Kohar issued strict instructions to Deputy Commissioners and Panchayat Department that this should not be allowed at any cost. He said that the cost of removal of encroachment would be billed to offenders.
He also issued directions to police department to strictly ban the ferrying of school students on Gharukas and underage drivers of Tractor-trolleys.
Anurag Aggarwal, Secretary Transport, Ashwani Kumar, State Transport Commissioner, R. Brar, IG Traffic, Chief Engineer National Highways were also present. // punjab news, india news,