Srinagar: Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CA&PD), Choudhary Zulfkar Ali today said that in 2015, 5836 road accidents have occurred in State in which 917 people lost their lives.
The Minister said that during 2015, 6, 37,110 persons were challaned by the Traffic Police and an amount of Rs 12,79,54,692 has been realized from them. Similarly, he said during the current year 2,74,137 persons have been challaned for various traffic violations up to ending April, 2016, and a fine of Rs 5,35,57,619 has been realized from them.
Zulfkar said that in order to curb the tendency of rash and negligent driving, overloading and over speeding by habitual offenders, the driving licenses of erring drivers especially of Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) are being recommended for cancellation to the concerned RTOs/ARTOs. Besides, he said, system of registering criminal cases under Section 304 and 307 RPC against the drivers indulging in repeated overloading has been introduced.
The Minister said that road safety measures are being flashed regularly through the electronic and print media. He said that ban on issuance of permits in respect of 4-wheelers and mini buses in the hilly districts of the erstwhile Doda and Poonch districts with effect from 15-12-2001 is being enforced strictly.
He said that all commercial and passenger services drivers have been advised and instructed to display details of driving licenses including photographs duly attested by concerned RTO / ARTO on the windscreen of the vehicles, while driving a motor vehicle.
Zulfkar said that all 25 year old commercial and passenger vehicles have been taken off the roads and all 15 year old passenger vehicles are required to undergo mechanical fitness test twice a year.
He said that State Road Safety Councils and District Road Safety Councils have been constituted to address the increasing trend of road accidents. He further said that the recovery cranes and 15 Ambulances have been provided for immediate rescue and emergency medical services to road accident victims under the National Highway Accident Relief Service Scheme.
The Minister said that Special anti-Encroachment drivers are being jointly launched by Municipal corporations, District Police and Traffic Department to remove the illegal encroachments on roads and footpaths. He said that surveys of the National Highway are conducted regularly and status reports are provided to the concerned executing agencies for undertaking necessary road safety measures. He further said that for establishing interface with various stakeholders, the Traffic Police Department has launched website www.jktrafficpolice.nic.in as well as Face book page J&K Traffic Police to reach out to the people.
He said that installation of Electronic Traffic Signal System (ETSS) in Srinagar and Jammu cities has yielded positive results in traffic management. He further said that Traffic Police has been pressing into service cranes and hydraulic workers for lifting of wrongly parked vehicles etc. in twin cities of Jammu and Srinagar. The Minister said that Traffic Police has been launching awareness campaigns to inculcate traffic sense, road discipline and avoiding rash driving.
The Minister said that the directions of the High Court and Supreme Court regarding ban on the entry of heavy vehicles into the city limits of Srinagar and Jammu cities during day time are complied with in letter and spirit.
The Minister said that the macdamization programme has been taken up by the R&B Department in 2015-16 to improve the riding surface of the roads. He said that emphasis is being given on improvement of roads by way of protection work in the shape of crash barriers etc. He said that zebra crossing have been provided on major crossings so that vehicles can slow down and allow the pedestrian to cross the road smoothly.
Zulfkar further said that Flyovers are under construction both in Srinagar and Jammu cities.
The Minister informed the House that Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) is in the process of replacing its old fleet of vehicles with new fleet, so as to progressively reduce dependence on private transport. He said that JKSTRC also intends to improve its services in rural and urban areas in future.
3 Dead In North Kashmir Accident
Srinagar: Three people were killed and one was injured, when a tipper met with an accident in the frontier district of Kupwara in north Kashmir today, official sources said.
They said a tipper skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge at Zarla mode Sadhna top in Kupwara, resulting in on the spot death of three people and injuries to another.
The deceased were identified as Mohammad Yaqub Malik (35), Mohammad Sadiq Malik (33) and Iftikhar Ahmad (20).
Meanwhile, two minor boys were injured in two different road accidents in Kupwara and Anantnag.
In Kupwara, a Maruti Van bearing registration number JK09A-1562 hit and injured a 12 years old boy identified as Danish Ahmad Sheikh son of Ghulam Nabi Sheikh resident of Gori Mohalla, Dragmulla at Drugmulla near T. A Camp 160 Bn. The injured was shifted to District hospital Kupwara wherefrom he has been referred to Bone & Joint Hospital Srinagar for further treatment. A case has been registered in this regard.
In Anantnag, a Duster vehicle hit and injured a six year old boy identified as Jamed Ahmad Dar son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Dar resident of Takiabal at Takiabal, Bijbehara. The injured boy was shifted to Sub District Hospital Bijbehara where from he has been referred to SKIMS Soura for further treatment. Anantnag police has registered a case in this regard.
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