Hoshiarpur - Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal said that National Road Safety Month is being celebrated on a large scale in the district till January 31. The aim of this campaign is to increase awareness about road safety, the theme of which is 'Care'. He said that the district administration has made a big plan to reduce road accidents. A public awareness campaign is being run with the cooperation of various departments and stakeholders regarding road safety. Especially to bring positive change in drivers, pedestrians and other traffic.
Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal said that an amount of Rs 1.50 lakh has been sanctioned for marking on the road, installing signboards and repairing accident prone places (black spots). Rs 8 lakh 21 thousand has been released to the Executive of PWD (Bridges and Roads) Hoshiarpur. An initiative has been taken to make the Chandigarh Road from Hoshiarpur to Garhshankar accident free by getting the work done from this fund. He said that this initiative is a step towards making Punjab a leader in the field of road safety.
He said that the repair of roads in the district, identification and improvement of black spots, road signs and road marking work is being done on priority basis. The number of black spots in the district has come down from 44 to 23 and a 43 percent reduction in road accidents has been recorded. Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Ravinder Singh Gill said that local engineering colleges have been made nodal agencies for road engineering audit. Along with this, campaigns are being run through social media, newspapers and public meetings.
He said that people are being told about the dangers of speeding, drunk driving and not wearing helmets and seat belts. Students of schools and colleges are being specially made aware. The RTO said that the traffic police and the transport department are taking strict action against those driving at high speed, driving on the wrong side and driving under the influence of alcohol. He said that during the Road Safety Month, Assistant Regional Transport Officer Sandeep Bharti on Wednesday night put reflector tapes on the back of fast moving vehicles like tractor-trolley and auto rickshaws to prevent accidents during fog.
Apart from this, he and his team took action against overloaded and speeding vehicles at night and also challaned 17 vehicles. He said that the Punjab government has set up special road safety forces and road safety labs equipped with modern technology for road safety. As a result, road accidents and deaths have reduced in the state.