Nainital DM forms task force to tackle increasing accidents in mountainous areas
Monday, 01 July 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Nainital district magistrate Vandana Singh formed a task force consisting of various departments to address the escalating number of road accidents in the rural and mountainous areas of the district as compared to the urban areas in recent years. She said that there is a significant rise in accident cases and casualties in rural areas compared to urban areas as per a recent report.
Taking cognisance of this issue, she has directed all officials concerned including the Police and Transport departments to launch extensive campaigns to reduce the risks of accidents in mountainous areas. The task force will include officials from departments and agencies such as the Police, Transport, Public Works Department (PWD) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The force will conduct large-scale checks on driving licenses, overloading, overspeeding, drunk driving and vehicle fitness in the mountainous areas.
The DM emphasised the need for strict action against traffic rule violators and the widespread dissemination of traffic rules. Besides this, she also instructed the Transport department’s enforcement team to pay special attention to rural areas. The fitness of buses and vehicles transporting school children will be verified through a campaign and unfit vehicles will not be allowed to operate for school transportation. Moreover, she directed the PWD to create a road safety audit team in collaboration with the regional transport office, NHAI and other departments concerned to conduct safety audits on all routes, identify black spots and propose solutions at the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) meeting.
Furthermore, the departments concerned were also directed to compile a list of road accident-related fatalities to provide affected families with benefits under various government schemes. These schemes aim to provide affected families with livelihood opportunities in fields such as fisheries, animal husbandry, agriculture and other industries with the goal of rehabilitating and integrating them into the mainstream. The Road Safety Committee will play a crucial role in ensuring affected families receive livelihood support with the help of the departments concerned, she added.
