Better Transport and Road connectivity for smooth and Safe Journey: CM
Shimla. Better transport facilities along with good road connectivity helps the economy of the State by improving the ability and efficiency of accessing and distributing goods, services and productive capacity with employment opportunities created around the State and plays a key role in balanced and equitable development besides harnessing growth potentials of each and every sector of the State.
The State Government is taking up the issues of National Highways and four lanes time and again with the Union Government. In fact Chief Minister, Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has mooted an idea of ‘Green Corridors’ Highways in the State, besides giving directions to maintain and refurbish the link roads within the State to facilitate the commuters.
Of late, the Chief Minster has also directed to set up Traffic cum Tourists Police Stations on major four lane projects in the State, particularly on Kiratpur-Manali four lane. Apart from this, use of advanced technology is being ensured in coordination with the National Highway Authority of India and the State Police for smooth operation of traffic on this National Highway and reducing the chances of accidents etc.
The Chief Minister stated that Advanced Traffic Management System has been prepared. Under this, emergency call boxes along with high tech CCTV cameras, automatic traffic counter-cum-classifiers, Vehicle Actuated Speed Displays and Overhead Driver Feedback System, variable message sign, video incident detection system and Met device are also being installed, besides command and control centre at toll plaza and connectivity through optic fiber along NH. He also directed to increase the number of display boards related to speed limits. He urged the National Highways Authority of India to provide financial assistance for the Integrated Command Center.
Besides, the Road Safety Cell established in the Transport Department has proved a boon to the commuters ensuring safe and secure journey. Quite a few stringent measures have been taken to improve the black spots. Out of 147 black spots, as identified so far around 117 have been improved and directions have been issued to fix up the remaining 30 such spots.
A sum of Rs 16 crore will be spent on Inspection and Certification Centre at Baddi for vehicles, so that only mechanically perfect vehicles are allowed to ply in the State.
Being a tourist State with thousands of vehicles and buses visiting the State every day, it has been observed that many private buses from other states ply in an unauthorized manner without paying taxes and proper registration. This not only causes huge losses to the State exchequer, but also it eats into the share of legal bus transporters of the State. The State Government has devised a legal mechanism to ‘challan’ of such buses. In order to give more teeth to the Motor Vehicle Inspector, they have now been authorized for challaning vehicles defying rules.
