J-K Guv sets time-frame for applying road safety framework

Calling for efforts to bring down the level of fatal road accidents in the state, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra today fixed a clear time-frame for the implementation of Road Safety Action Plan in Jammu and Kashmir.
He called for sustained efforts to substantially bring down the level of fatal road accidents in the state which, on an annual average result in around 1,000 persons being killed and 6,000 injured.
At a specially convened high-level meeting held in the Civil Secretariat here today, the Governor reviewed all important issues relating to road safety.
The Governor expressed serious concern over the poor attention given to this vital problem and regretted that a meeting of the J-K State Road Safety Council was held when it was setup in 2012, and, thereafter, no meeting was held for the next 3 years, till he enquired in the matter.

In regard to the legal framework, the state government had furnished its comments on the Draft Central Road Transport and Safety Bill, 2014 which envisages the establishment of a new framework for road safety all over the country.
The Governor directed the Divisional Commissioners to ensure that meetings of the District Road Safety Committees are held on monthly basis till such time as the implementation of the road safety plan gets well established.

The Deputy Commissioners were also directed to launch an urgent campaign to remove all encroachments along all the highways and ensure that the provisions of Ribbon Development Act are stringently enforced.

The Governor directed that with immediate effect it will be mandatory for all new road projects to be necessarily vetted by the Design Directorate so as to ensure that the road safety features are duly incorporated in the road architecture.
He also directed that, side by side, the safety audit of the existing roads should be carried out in a time-bound manner.
He further directed that every enforcement agency should sternly deal with all cases of overloading and other traffic violations and no unfit vehicle should be allowed to ply on the roads under any circumstances.
The Governor was informed that, as of now, crash barriers had been installed at 70 per cent of the accident prone spots identified by the traffic police.