J&K: State administration first time releases Rs 8 crore for road safety

To reduce the number of road accidents and to ensure effective traffic management in Jammu and Kashmir, the state administration has for the first time released Rs 8 crore under road safety fund, an official said Friday.

According to an official spokesperson this information was given at a high-level meeting chaired by the principal secretary, transport, Asgar Hassan Samoon, and attended by the IGP Traffic, Alok Kumar, and the additional transport commissioner.

The initiative is in tune with the directions of a Supreme Court-appointed committee on road safety which has called for the establishment of non-lapsable road safety funds in states, he said.

At the meeting, it was decided that Rs 2.5 crore would be provided for the establishment of a traffic and design wings in Transport Commissioner's office at Srinagar and Jammu for effective planning of traffic management in the two regions, the spokesperson said.

For mobile checking of pollution standards of vehicles, Rs 1 crore has been earmarked for purchasing smoke metres and gas analyzers, tyre depth gauges, route survey and other items, he said, adding to create awareness regarding traffic rules Rs one lakh has been released to each Regional Transport commissioners, assistant transport commissioner for conducting activities and programmes regarding road safety in their areas.

For enforcing traffic discipline and checking violation of rules, Rs 1 crore has been earmarked for fabrication of interceptor on a vehicle, he added.

Samoon called for equipping traffic and MVD personnel with latest gadgets and sought using heavy-duty torches and warning lights, reflective jackets, breath analyzers, speed guns, pollution checking mobile man, portable weighbridges and other items.

For effective traffic management in cities of Srinagar and Jammu Samoon also directed officials to hire the sufficient number of towing cranes, e-challaning machines and interceptive vehicles fitted with modern gadgets.

He also reviewed the construction of RTO and Transport Commissioners office in Srinagar and called for speeding up the works.