Punjab Government on Wednesday constituted a committee to prepare a blueprint of State Road Safety Policy within one month’s time.
The decision was taken in a high level meeting of Punjab State Road Safety Council presided over by the State Transport Minister Ajit Singh Kohar, who also mooted a proposal to open Institute of Driving Training and Research Center and Regional Driving Training Center in association with Union Government.
Kohar also asked the State Public Works Department to correct and put right the black spots falling on National Highways and State Highways in next two years. Taking cognisance of ferrying passengers in trucks, tractor-trolleys and some other vehicles, Kohar said that such exercises often leads to road accidents and imposing ban on ferrying passengers in these vehicles was need of the hour.
The meeting decided to put embargo on these vehicles by adopting strict measures. The Council has decided to cancel permit of truck and tractors-trolleys ferrying passengers besides cancelling license of drivers responsible for such exercises. Kohar also asked Education, Transport and Police department to work in consonance with each other to ensure safety of students going to schools in buses of educational institutes.
“School managements should also be involved under this programme to implement the same at ground level. Schools managements should follow the ruling of the Apex Court and Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, to run their buses besides ensuring installation of speed governors in all buses with a maximum speed of 40 km per hour,” said Kohar.
He said that school buses should also be shaped according to AIS Standard 063 and concerned principal would ensure installation of speed Governors. In a major decision regarding roadside encroachments, Kohar issued strict instructions to Deputy Commissioners and Panchayat Department that this should not be allowed at any cost. The cost of removal of encroachment would be billed to offenders, he added. Kohar also issued directions to police department to strictly ban ferrying of school students on gharukas and underage drivers of tractor-trolleys.