The News Freedom
Chandigarh, January 15
Punjab Transport Minister, Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Monday called upon all stakeholders to actively contribute to reducing the mortality rate due to road accidents in the state. Speaking at the launch of the road safety month, spanning from January 15 to February 14 and organized by the Punjab State Road Safety Council at Punjab Civil Secretariat-2, the minister emphasized the need for a year-round commitment to road safety by concerned departments, NGOs, and commuters, extending beyond the designated month.
Highlighting the positive impact of measures implemented by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s government, including the Sadak Surkhiya Force (SSF) and continuous effective monitoring, the Cabinet Minister shared that, as per the Annual Report on Punjab Road Crashes and Traffic-2022, the state witnessed a 0.24 percent decrease in road accident fatalities in 2022 compared to the previous year.
Despite a nationwide increase of 9.4 percent in road fatalities in 2022, Laljit Singh Bhullar noted that Punjab saw a decline, recording 4,578 road accident fatalities. Over-speeding and animal-related incidents were identified as leading causes, with 2,085 deaths attributed to over-speeding and 421 to animal involvement in 2022.
Bhullar also unveiled the report “Identification and Rectification of Accident Black Spots in Punjab for Phase-III (2019-2021),” revealing that out of the total 583 black spots identified in the state, around 60 percent have been rectified. Punjab’s efforts in this regard were acknowledged by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Expressing concern, the Cabinet Minister highlighted that every fifth patient in the hospital is a road accident victim, underlining the significant economic impact. Deaths in road accidents cause an annual loss of about Rs 21,000 crores, approximately 3 percent of the state’s GDP, affecting families, relatives, and the state.
Addressing the challenge of foggy-season accidents, Bhullar instructed traffic police to penalize heavy vehicles causing hazards during this period. He commended NGOs involved in road safety, announcing their recognition on Republic Day, and urged them to provide suggestions for enhancing road safety measures.