ITANAGAR, 15 Jul: The state government is committed to allocating adequate resources for road safety initiatives, said Transport Minister Ojing Tasing.
Chairing a high-level meeting on road safety at the civil secretariat here on Tuesday, the minister called for active community participation and public awareness campaigns to build a culture of responsible driving.
The meeting was aimed at reviewing the current road safety scenario in the state and formulating multisectoral strategies to reduce road accidents and fatalities.
Tasing expressed concern over the rising number of road mishaps, particularly in urban centres and on the national highways, and stressed the urgent need for coordinated efforts to ensure safer roads for all.
Key issues discussed in the meeting included identification of accident-prone areas (black spots) and urgent rectification measures; strict enforcement of traffic rules, especially regarding over-speeding, drunken driving, and helmet usage; strengthening driver training and licencing procedures; integration of road safety awareness into school curricula; painting of zebra crossings, especially near education institutions and hospitals; ensuring safe transportation of schoolchildren; giving more attention to entering the data on iRAD application; improved coordination between departments for timely road maintenance and signage installation; and enhanced emergency medical response services in accident zones.
The minister directed all the departments concerned to be active and submit action plans prior to the next meeting, and advised the departments to provide accurate data, especially on hit-and-run cases.
Transport Commissioner Vivek Pandey presented the recent data on road accidents in the state, highlighting the major causes and demographic trends.
He also highlighted a few directives from the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety and the MoRTH, like the RAH-VEER scheme, also known as the Good Samaritan scheme – a government initiative aimed at encouraging people to help accident victims by providing immediate assistance and rushing them to a hospital within the ‘golden hour’.
The scheme rewards those who help by providing cash award, along with a certificate of appreciation.
The meeting concluded with a resolution to constitute a project management unit with domain experts, to be funded from the state road safety fund within this financial year to monitor implementation and review progress regularly.
The meeting brought together commissioners/secretaries from the Transport, Home, Finance, Planning, Police, Public Works, Education, and Health Departments, along with chief engineers of the PWD (D&P) and the BRO HQ, besides the director of the NERIST. (DIPR)
