CM urges public to obey traffic rules

Imphal, April 22, 2018 (DIPR): Chief Minister Shri N. Biren Singh has urged the public to cooperate and extent support to the Government in containing road accident fatalities by simply obeying the traffic rules while driving and crossing the roads.

He made the appeal in his message to be broadcast on April 23 on All India Radio and Doordarshan Kendra Imphal in connection with the observation of the 29^th Road Safety Week (April 23-30, 2018) under the theme ‘Sadak Suraksha – Jiban Raksha’.

The Chief Minister expressed concern that there was steep rise of 67.9 per cent in the number of road accident fatalities during 2017 when compared with 2016.

The Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety (CoRS) seriously viewed the matter with deep concern and directed the State Government to formulate an Action Plan to reduce accident fatalities at 50 per cent by 2020, the Chief Minister said.

Stating that the State Government has started taking up necessary steps to check using of fake driving licenses, Shri N. Biren Singh informed that 10,000 driving licenses (manual/form 6) and smart card driving licenses had been seized/verified so far, and out of which 400 driving licenses were found to be fake licenses.

Further investigation is being carried out by the CID Crime Branch to book the involved miscreants/anti-social elements under the law, he added.

The Chief Minister further said that the Government is also trying to contain re-registration of stolen vehicles purportedly brought from other States.

In this regard, a dedicated Anti Theft Vehicle Cell has already been established under the overall in-charge of IGP Zone-I, he said while adding that the Cell is verifying the documents of pre-used vehicles in collaboration with the Transport Department  before allowing registration.

Furthermore, in compliance of the Supreme Court Orders of dated 12th May 2015 and 21st January 2016, the State Transport Department had already notified the guidelines relating to protection of Good Samaritans on 22nd July 2016 requesting all stakeholders as well as general public to strictly abide by the guidelines framed by the apex Court, he said.

The Chief Minister also urged the public to evacuate the accident victims to the nearest hospital without any fear of risk.

The State Health Services Department had been advised to make available its ambulances to accident victims through a common toll free number which must be adequately publicized besides taking up necessary steps to complete and make operationalisation of the Trauma Care Centres which have been approved by the Union Ministry of Health, he added.

Shri N. Biren Singh also said that the Government had issued an office memorandum on April 17, 2018 wherein Government officials had been advised to provide their official vehicles to victims in shifting them to nearby hospitals when any accident occurs near Government offices or if any official happens to come across any road mishap while they are travelling.

The Chief Minister also appealed to the people of Manipur to obey traffic rules, rules of road regulations besides other laws relating to helmet/seatbelt/mobile phone etc. so that valuable lives/properties could be saved besides reducing menace of social trauma to a great extent.