The law will catch up with the traffic violators on fast-moving vehicles. For, Punjab Government has decided to apply brakes to traffic offences on the state’s roads by providing the newly-constituted ‘Road Safety Force’ with fast-moving vehicles, including Isuzu and Mahindra Scorpio SUVs.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on June 9, announced the formation of a dedicated road safety force under the Punjab Police, named ‘Sadak Surakheya Force’. The new force will be equipped with no less than 160 fast-moving vehicles that can perform high-speed chases on the highways, when needed.
“Around 164 fast-moving vehicles are being procured for the new force. The bulk of the new additions will be Isuzu vehicles and the rest Mahindra Scorpio SUVs,” said the state Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill on Monday while addressing the media.
IGP Gill informed that the Road Safety Force will have its own uniform and would be equipped with all the latest equipment to check road accidents, along with thee traffic violations. “The members of this Force will wear distinctive uniforms and they will be equipped with latest equipment, including body cameras, breath analyzers,” he added.
Alarmed over losing a life every second hour daily in road accidents in Punjab and to streamline the traffic movement on the state’s roads, Chief Minister Mann had announced the constitution of ‘Road Safety Force’ under the Punjab Police.
“Daily, around 14 precious lives are lost in road accidents in Punjab. This causality can be checked by manning the roads well for which ‘Road Safety Force’ will be formed in Punjab Police,” Mann had announced on Friday last while addressing the gathering after inaugurating the Regional Driving Training Centre at Amargarh in Malerkotla.
As per the Chief Minister’s announcement, the Force, to be deployed along all highways of the state, will be entrusted with the task of checking rash driving, streamlining vehicular movement on roads, and others to check the road accidents. It will also reduce the burden on cops deployed in the Police stations.
Already, the Chief Minister has sanctioned Rs 29.5 crore special funds to set up this new force. IGP Gill informed that the state ADGP (Traffic) AS Rai has been designated as the nodal officer of the force.