The Fact News Service
Chandigarh, August 29
Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Wednesday, stressed for the need to adopt best practices for preventing road accidents there by decreasing mortality rate in road accidents, simplify public dealings in the Transport department and providing services at citizens’ doorsteps.
During a meeting held with the 14 members delegation of the All India Federation of Motor Vehicles Department Technical Executive Officer’s Association here at Punjab Bhawan, S. Laljit Singh Bhullar said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led government, along with the state’s ongoing efforts to improve various aspects of transport administration and reinforce its dedication to creating safer roads for all citizens, is eager to adopt best practices of other states in various areas of transport management and proactively tackling one of the most pressing issues of public safety. The meeting was focused on improving licensing, registration, fitness certification, enforcement, taxation and road safety measures in Punjab.
Bhullar highlighted that since taking office, the Mann government has prioritized streamlining public services and making them more accessible to citizens. He outlined several state achievements, including the establishment of a Sadak Surakhiya Force of 5000 dedicated personnel equipped with 144 high-tech vehicles, and the introduction of the Farishtay Scheme to save the lives of road accident victims.
Bhullar also mentioned the introduction of 55 smart services related to driving licenses and registration, with 38 of these services not requiring applicants to visit the concerned office. For 17 services, applicants need to visit the office at least once. He said that vehicle fitness is being conducted by motor vehicle inspectors using mobile tablet-based technology. The state has also introduced an e-invoicing system for manual challans, provided 1200 e-challan machines to traffic police and implemented e-payment facilities for challan payments.
The Cabinet Minister further noted that the department has implemented vehicle scrapping and electric vehicle policies for ensuring safer roads and pollution-free environment.
Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar announced that a national-level conference on road safety will be held in the state of Punjab in November this year to addressing road safety issues and fostering collaboration with experts from across the country. He said that this conference will serve as a platform for sharing best practices, discussing innovative strategies and developing comprehensive approaches to enhance road safety measures in Punjab and beyond.
R. Venkat Ratnam, Director General of the Lead Agency on Road Safety “Punjab State Road Safety Council”, lauded the Federation’s altruistic endeavours and affirmed that Punjab would fully leverage the expertise of their technically-adept team to further mitigate the incidence of fatalities stemming from road accidents across the state.
During the meeting, Federation President Ashfaq Ahmad presented an overview of successful practices implemented in other states across India. He highlighted the Federation’s role as an apex body representing Transport Department State Associations from 25 states and 7 union territories, adding that their primary objective is to promote road safety and implement best practices throughout the country.
Notably, the Federation holds a distinguished position as a recognized member of the National Road Safety Council of India, operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India.
Ahmad said that the AIF is working to enhance revenue collection and reduce accidents through an effective vehicle enforcement system in the state. He said that effective enforcement can significantly boost revenue collection, which can be allocated to the Road Safety Fund and is key to reducing accidents across all vehicle categories.
He also highlighted the need for technically qualified officers, citing the legal framework under Section 213(4) of the MV Act, qualification requirements set by the Central Government and Supreme Court guidelines.
Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included Additional STC Sukhwinder Kumar, Sampath Kumar General Secretary and Sachin Bhodale Treasurer from All India Federation, Ravinder Singh Gill, President, Punjab Association and Ranpreet Singh Bheora General Secretary Punjab.
