*Transport Minister gives target to reduce mortality rate in road accidents by 50 percent*

*• During Punjab State Road Safety Council meeting, concerned departments instructed to maintain road safety standards*

*DCs directed to honour good Samaritans helping road accident victims, on Republic Day*

*Chandigarh, December 14:*

Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar has set a target for the concerned departments to reduce the mortality rate in the accidents by 50 percent.

Presiding over an important meeting of Punjab State Road Safety Council here, the Cabinet Minister informed that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had already opined the department to reduce the mortality rate as each life matters. He said that 14 deaths are daily happening in road accidents in the state, on which the Chief Minister had expressed great concern and said that stern action on a priority basis should be taken to reduce the death rate.

“Three out of 10 lives can be saved directly through fast and up-graded emergency medical care services”, said the Cabinet Minister directing the officials of health department to further improve emergency and trauma care services across the state. He said that five level-II trauma care centers have already been set up at Khanna, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Ferozepur and Fazilka through which road accident victims’ lives could be saved after fulfilling the vacant posts.

Apart from this, it was also decided that all the emergency response services in the state such as NHAI (1033), Transport Department (112), Health Department (108) etc. will be brought on one platform through an app to make it public friendly.

Likewise, the Transport Minister instructed the officials of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Public Works Department, Punjab Mandi Board and Local Government Departments to rectify the black spots on priority basis. It was also decided that a special 15 day training course will be conducted for civil engineers of all concerned departments to evolve new ways to overcome the situation.

It was decided that all the road owning agencies such as NHAI, PWD, Punjab Mandi Board and Local Government Department will install road signages on entry and exit points on highways, especially at road accident prone areas during next two months and the action taken in this regard will be reviewed by the Transport Minister.

Cabinet Minister directed ADGP (Traffic) Mr. Amarjit Singh Rai to ensure the implementation of traffic rules besides sensitizing vehicle owners/drivers carrying straw about Ill-effects such as occurrence of accidents etc. Instructing Transport department officials to write to all the SDMs to keep check on violators, the Cabinet Minister said that installation of under-run iron bar behind heavy vehicles and vehicles carrying steel bar should be ensured. He also directed to launch a special campaign to install reflector tape on tractor-trolleys, three and two wheelers in this foggy season. All the SDMs and traffic police officers will participate in this special campaign.

The Transport Minister directed Secretary Transport Mr. Vikas Garg to write to all Deputy Commissioners of the state to honour good Samaritans, who help victims of road accidents, on the occasion of Republic Day on January 26.

The Minister asked the Local Government Department to give utmost attention towards construction of footpaths and cycle-tracks along the roads in the cities complying to the directions of the Supreme Court of India.

*DigiLocker documents should be recognised: Transport Minister*

Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar instructed the ADGP (Traffic) that the presentation of the DigiLocker documents of the driver, this should be recognised. He said that keeping in view the delay in issuance of chip based smart card licenses and registration certificates due to shortage of chip at a global level, traffic police should recognize online documents kept in government DigiLocker.

During the meeting Secretary Transport Mr. Vikas Garg, Director General Lead Agency Mr. R. Venkat Ratnam, State Transport Commissioner Mr. Moneesh Kumar, ADGP (Traffic) Mr. A.S. Rai and NHAI, PWD, Health and Family Welfare, Punjab Mandi Board, School Education officials were also present.