YUPIA, 16 Sep: The Papum Pare District Road Safety Committee on Tuesday launched a Road Safety Awareness Week with a bike rally from the Dree ground junction to the Golden Jubilee Outdoor Stadium here.
Flagged off by Papum Pare Deputy Commissioner Vishakha Yadav, the rally of over 100 bikers was led by Transport Minister Ojing Tasing and Chief Secretary Manish Gupta.
The Road Safety Week aims to promote safe driving practices and educate the people about the rules on the road.
Later, addressing the gathering at the stadium, Tasing lauded the Papum Pare district administration for organizing the awareness campaign.
“This is the first of its kind road safety awareness programme held in a district, and other districts should emulate this,” he said.
Speaking about the government’s motor accident compensation scheme, he said that while no amount of monetary support can compensate for the loss of a loved one, the scheme reflects the government’s sincere efforts to extend relief to affected families.
Doimukh MLA Nabam Vivek highlighted the Rah Veer Scheme, urging citizens not to remain passive spectators during road accidents but to actively assist the injured and ensure they are taken to a health facility promptly.
Discouraging use of mobile phones while driving, he appealed to all motorists to remain attentive, responsible, and disciplined on the roads.
The chief secretary spoke at length about good driving practices, and called for proactive steps to address the problem of stray animals, which often cause road accidents. He said that collective responsibility from both the administration and the public is essential to minimise such hazards.
The deputy commissioner acknowledged the contributions of the automobile sector and various other stakeholders in making the programme a success.
Various activities, including painting and slogan-writing competitions, free helmet distribution, vehicle check-ups, and multiple outreach initiatives aimed at instilling the values of road discipline and safe driving among the public will be organized during the week, Assistant Commissioner Dr Dana Unna informed.
The inaugural programme also featured the launch of a road safety awareness video, felicitation of collaborators from the automobile sector, distribution of road safety equipment to the Papum Pare SP and road signboards to the highway division EE.
Various bikers’ groups, police personnel, students, heads of departments, and members of the public participated in the programme. (DIPRO)
