Punjab Transport Min Warring launches 'No Challan Day' road safety drive, raises awareness

In a bid to promote awareness of traffic rules and regulations, Punjab Transport Minister Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Sunday launched statewide 'No Challan Day,' a road safety drive. The day marks 'Children's Day' and with the move, the ministry aspires to make the state safe for children, "starting from roads".

The campaign was organised at 100 locations across the state in collaboration with the State Police Department, Punjab Youth Congress, National Students' Union of India (NSUI) Punjab, Mahila Congress.

Simultaneously, Civil Societies and NGOs took an active part in disseminating traffic and promoting road safety awareness among commuters.

Violators schooled about their safety and of others travelling on road

People who violated traffic norms were asked to administer a pledge instead of being issued a challan between 10 am to 12 noon. They were schooled about their safety and that of others travelling on the road.

Emphasising the urgency to ensure implementation of road safety protocols on a 'mission mode,' Warring said every life lost in accidents is a loss for the whole nation.

"Let us all today on the Children's Day vow to make our state safest for children and let us start it with roads," Warring said as he made an emotional appeal to citizens to adopt traffic compliance into their day-to-day behaviour.

Warring laments high rate of road fatalities

Launching the campaign, the state Transport Minister rued over the average high rate of road casualties in the state. He directed the department to make sure that the strictest implementation of low and safe speed limits are taken into consideration within school areas to avoid road hazards for children.

"A concerted approach wherein everyone acts as an active stakeholder is required to ensure we emerge victorious in our mission to avoid accidents and save lives," Warring said.

Administering the Road Safety Pledge to violators at the BMC Chowk and urging them to follow traffic rules, Warring distributed new helmets and badges to disseminate the message of traffic rule awareness.

"Punjab loses 10-12 precious lives every year in road crashes which is a serious cause of concern. It would be highly regrettable if we do not act now to ensure a safe road environment for our kids, the collective onus of which falls on all of us. It starts with you and me at home and from our schools to make our children vigilant about traffic rules," he said.

Punjab transport dept aims to lessen road mishaps

The Minister after taking over the department has acted instrumentally in initiating stern measures to strengthen the efficiency of the state transport undertakings PRTC and Punjab Roadways besides streamlining the working of Regional Transport Authority (RTA) officials in the field.

The initiative launched by the Punjab government is part of the Decade for Road Safety campaign aimed at promoting a sense of responsibility among commuters by generating the mass movement.

"We will be holding the initiative twice a month to ensure we don't lag behind in drilling a sense of regularity and discipline amongst our road users, especially our youngsters," Warring said.

Earlier the day, Warring inspected the Moga Bus Depot as part of the department's fortnightly drive to improve and sustain safety and sanitation protocols at all bus stand across the state. Present on the occasion was Joint Commissioner of Police Sandeep Kumar Malik, Secretary RTA Jalandhar Amit Mahajan, ADCP Traffic Manjit Kaur, and Youth Congress District President Angad Dutta.

The Punjab Legislative Assembly elections are slated to be held early next year.

With ANI inputs

Image: PTI/ANI