Road Safety Council Meet
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 18 Nov: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today directed the officials to prepare a comprehensive proposal enabling road accident victims in Uttarakhand to receive cashless medical treatment in hospitals beyond the scope of the Ayushman Yojana. Chairing a high-level Road Safety Council meeting at the Secretariat here today, the CM emphasised that no accident victim should be denied emergency care due to financial constraints and instructed the related departments to ensure swift implementation of this expanded facility.
He also called for intensified efforts to reduce road accidents across the state, particularly in vulnerable zones.
Dhami also emphasised on the need for rigorous vehicle checks in border areas and heightened vigilance in the hills, where terrain-related risks are compounded by overloading and poor adherence to the traffic norms. He stressed that public awareness campaigns must be conducted regularly to educate citizens on road safety and urged the departments to maximise the use of modern technologies to enhance traffic management. He instructed that cleanliness and safety drives be conducted consistently at bus stops and transport hubs, and that strict action be taken against violators of traffic rules. He also listed minimising the response time for transporting injured persons to hospitals as a critical priority, especially in remote and high-traffic areas.
Dhami directed that road repair works in regions affected by heavy rainfall and high footfall be expedited and suggested that successful road safety models from various districts be adopted as best practices. He called for the integration of artificial intelligence and automated systems in traffic management across all districts and stressed the need to complete road widening projects at identified black spots on a priority basis. To strengthen emergency response, he instructed that First Responder Training Programmes be conducted regularly to equip citizens with basic life-saving skills.
The CM issued special instructions for the installation and upkeep of crash barriers on mountain roads, which are often the site of fatal accidents. He also proposed that vehicle parking facilities be developed in areas where basic amenities are available for travellers and asked the Transport and Tourism Departments to jointly formulate a scheme for this purpose.
The CM further mandated that the Transport, Police, and Public Works Departments hold monthly coordination meetings to review road safety measures. He also instructed the Forest Department and concerned district administrations to undertake tree plantation drives along hill roads to improve environmental conditions and roadside safety. During the meeting, individuals who had made notable contributions to road safety were felicitated for their efforts.
Among those who were present at the meeting included Cabinet Minister Satpal Maharaj, Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, Secretaries Shailesh Bagauli, Brijesh Kumar Sant, V Shanmugam, Additional Director General of Police V Murugesan, IG Rajeev Swaroop and Transport Commissioner Reena Joshi.
