Jalandhar, August 22 – With the objective of preventing road accidents on highways, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal today directed officials to ensure that no vehicle driver parks their vehicle along the highways.
Chairing a meeting of the Road Safety Committee at the District Administrative Complex, the Deputy Commissioner said that vehicles parked on highways often pose a risk of accidents.
He directed officials of RTA, RTO, Police and Road Safety Force to take strict action against such vehicles. In addition, he issued stern instructions to the owners of roadside eateries (dhabas) to ensure that vehicles are parked only within the parking space of the dhaba so that accidents can be prevented. He further stated that if an accident occurs due to vehicles parked outside on the highway in front of a dhaba, the responsibility will also be fixed on the concerned dhaba owner.
Dr. Aggarwal also instructed concerned departments to take concrete steps to prevent accidents at points where village roads merge with highways. He said that at such points, signboards, rumble strips, road studs, etc. should be installed to reduce vehicle speed and prevent accidents. He directed officials of PWD and Mandi Board to prepare and submit proposals in this regard at the earliest. In addition, he ordered a strict ban on the movement of heavy vehicles within the city during daytime.
Dr. Aggarwal said that in case of vehicle breakdown on highways, people can seek help by calling the National Highway Helpline number 1033 or Emergency number 112.
For issues like traffic jams, unauthorized cuts, traffic lights, or to give suggestions, a WhatsApp message can be sent to the district administration’s helpline number 9646-222-555. He assured that any problem or suggestion received through the helpline will be forwarded to the concerned department for resolution.
The Deputy Commissioner also reviewed the list of black spots presented by SDMs and NHAI and directed the concerned departments to take immediate action to rectify them.
He further reviewed compliance with the Safe School Policy, measures against overloading, overspeeding, drunken driving, and violations of other traffic rules, along with awareness activities.
Present in the meeting were SDM Adampur Vivek Kumar Modi (also holding additional charge as Additional Deputy Commissioner Rural Development), Secretary Regional Transport Authority Balbir Raj Singh, Joint Commissioner Municipal Corporation Jalandhar Sumandeep Kaur, along with officials of various departments and members of the committee.