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Ramban, August 21: A meeting of the District Road Safety Committee was held today under the chairmanship of District Magistrate Ramban, Mohammad Alyas Khan, and was prominently addressed by Transport Commissioner J&K, Vishesh Paul Mahajan, in a decisive step towards enhancing road safety and minimizing accidents on National Highway-44 (NH-44) and other roads in the district.
The meeting was attended by SSP Ramban Arun Gupta, SSP Traffic NHW Raja Adil Hamed, CPO Dr. Shakeeb Ahmed , and officers from all concerned departments.
The Transport Commissioner briefed the meeting regarding various road safety measures taken by the Transport Department in Jammu and Kashmir, including awareness campaigns, strict enforcement drives against traffic violations and regular monitoring of vulnerable stretches to reduce accidents.
He highlighted that coordinated efforts between enforcement agencies, NHAI, PWD, and district administrations are vital to ensure safety of the commuters.
The Transport Commissioner stressed on curbing over-speeding, overloading, underage driving, use of mobile phones while driving, and drunken driving, while emphasizing strict enforcement of traffic rules to ensure safer roads.
He directed NHAI authorities to share details and CCTV footage of traffic violations in Nashri tunnels, including overloading and lane discipline breaches, for strict action. He also asked the District Road Safety Committee to identify suitable land for establishing roadside basic facilities for drivers.
District Magistrate Ramban directed all departments to adopt stringent measures to ensure road safety. To enhance pedestrian safety, the DM instructed NHAI to construct overhead footbridges at identified locations along the Nashri–Banihal stretch.
Enforcement agencies were directed to seize unfit vehicles and those lacking valid documents, while the ARTO was asked to strictly regulate both E-autos and fuel-based autos as per norms.
Further, PWD and PMGSY were tasked to conduct a road safety audit of their roads, formulate a plan for installing crash barriers and signboards at vulnerable locations, and ensure proper maintenance by rectifying black spots.
NHAI was also directed to ensure patchwork on NH-44, remove hoardings and boards obstructing visibility, and take measures to prevent accidents.
On the suggestions of the SSP Ramban and SSP Traffic, the meeting underscored the need for installation of more CCTVs.
The District Magistrate directed CMO to make Trauma Centre Ramban functional to provide immediate medical assistance to accident victims and strengthen emergency response systems. The DM directed all the departments to work in coordination with all stakeholders for ensuring safer and accident-free roads across the district.
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