Strict action to be taken against wrong parking – DC
Administration tough on reducing traffic congestion; major institutions asked to ensure proper arrangements
Strict monitoring on unlicensed drivers
Campaign to be launched to reduce black spots in the district
To further strengthen road safety in the district, Patiala Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal sought detailed information from the Traffic Police and other departments regarding the condition of major traffic points in the city, including Khanda Chowk, New Bus Stand, Old Bus Stand, Kohli Sweets, Gur Mandi, Gagan Chowk, Khalsa College, Rajpura, and Nabha areas.
Issuing strict directions, the Deputy Commissioner said that schools, colleges, banks, and other institutions will have to make their own parking arrangements. Chairing the District Road Safety Committee meeting, he warned that institutions failing to comply with these directions would face strict action and, if necessary, their property could also be confiscated.
The DC stated that if an institution does not have adequate parking space, it should hire staff to assist people in parking their vehicles in an organized manner. He said that improperly parked vehicles are a major cause of traffic jams and accidents, and preventing this is the need of the hour. The meeting also seriously discussed cases of children driving at high speeds and operating vehicles without licences. In this regard, the DC directed the Traffic Police to run a special awareness campaign through social media for students and parents. He also instructed the Traffic Police to coordinate with the Municipal Corporation to install signboards regarding restrictions on the entry of heavy vehicles.
Under the Safe School Vehicle Policy, Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal instructed the District Education Officer to ensure compliance with the policy in every school of the district. He directed that CCTV cameras should be installed at school main gates and nodal officers for road safety should also be appointed.
The DC directed District Child Protection Officer Shayna Kapoor to regularly check the driving licences of school bus drivers and issue challans to those violating rules. He also appealed to parents and school authorities to ensure the safety of children travelling to school through private vehicles instead of school buses.
During the meeting, various departments also presented suggestions related to road safety. DC Himanshu Aggarwal said that many valuable lives are lost every year due to road accidents, but such accidents can be reduced through small improvements, road repairs, and strict enforcement of traffic rules.
He said that a special traffic plan should be prepared for the district to bring the road accident rate down to zero. The DC stressed the need for coordination among departments including Transport, Police, Health, and Highway Authority to ensure effective use of the IRAD system.
On the occasion, the SSP Traffic and Security presented a report on road accident black spots in the city. He informed that special measures are being undertaken to reduce accidents at these sensitive locations.
In conclusion, the Deputy Commissioner directed all departments to intensify efforts to reduce black spots in the district over the next six months and instructed that responsibility should be fixed on the concerned department in case of any accident.
On this occasion, ADC Navreet Kaur Sekhon, Joint Commissioner Municipal Corporation Manreet Rana, RTO Dr. Poonampreet Kaur, ATO Manjot Singh, SP Traffic H.S. Mann, DSP Traffic Puneet Singh Chahal, and officials from various departments were present.