To mark the third day of the ongoing Road Safety Week, Uttarakhand Police has organised a public awareness campaign about road safety and traffic rules on Tuesday. Uttarakhand DGP BS Sidhu flagged off the rally from Clock Tower and appealed to the road users to follow the traffic rules while driving vehicles. DGP said that the objective of this rally was to create awareness of road safety among the people.
Stressing on the people strictly abiding by the traffic rules, he said that the number of road accidents occurring almost daily would be brought to the minimum in case the people driving vehicles of whatever kind are a tad more attentive in maintaining the traffic rules. “We on our part are doing our best to ease things for the people. City Petrol Unit was formed and brought into operation in Dehradun, Haridwar and Nainital to smoothen traffic flow as well as to take deterrent measures against the violators so as to make the latter refrain from violating the rules. A semblance of order has been enforced thanks to CPU imposing challans for acts of traffic violations. Their visibility is striking with the riders of two-wheelers having made it a point to don helmets, something that was a rare sight before CPU was brought into play,” he said.
The State’s top cop reminded the common people of their reciprocal role in bringing order on the roads. “Each citizen is duty-bound to follow the traffic rules. Police’s role is limited. We can enforce the traffic rules. But we cannot make parking lots for the vehicles in the city. Other departments should work in tandem as far as creation of proper parking lots and freeing the footpaths of the encroachment are concerned. The common people have paramount role too. We cannot solve problems plaguing the roads unless they come forward to help us restore order,” he stressed.
laying emphasis on the same, Garhwal Range IG Sanjay Kumar Gunjiyal said that every citizen should follow the traffic rules while driving. “Parents should not allow their teenage children to drive vehicles till they reach 18 years of age. The concept of adhering to the traffic rules should be ingrained deep in the collective mind of the people so that no one whether of the family or of the society dare transgress them with impunity,” he said.
Dehradun SSP Dr Sadanand Date said that road mishaps taking toll of human lives is a national problem. “We are all concerned with it. However, such mishaps can be restrained substantially if we all pledge to do our bits. We must refrain from rash and drunk driving. life is precious,” he said.
During the remainder of the Road Safety Week, several programmes will be organised at schools and other public places across the district to din the collective ears the fact that safety on the roads can be best ensured if the people take the pledge to keep things safe for themselves as well as for others, the top cops say. Several NCC volunteers and those from social help groups took pledge to drive safe while refraining from drinking while in the wheels. They also pledged to help the victims of the road accidents in every way and call on toll free number 108 or the local police promptly, seeking for assistance.