NEW DELHI, July 31 (MIC): Manipur Works and Transport Minister Dr Kh Ratankumar today urged the Centre for providing adequate funding by way of Central Assistance to develop infrastructure for road safety measures in Manipur, keeping in view the resource constraints in Manipur as well as Manipur being a special category state.
The Minister elaborated that installation of state of the art equipments such as breadth analysers, interceptors and speed radar guns, ambulance, cranes, development of web base data management system, emergency relief service system, strengthening of traffic police and enforcement staff were highly required in Manipur.
Dr. Ratankumar was speaking at the meeting of State Transport Ministers which was held under the chairmanship of Dr. C.P. Joshi, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways at A.P.Shinde Hall, NASC Complex here today. Transport Ministers from Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Delhi, Jharkhand attended the meeting. The meeting took stock of the road safety scenario in the country following the release of data on road accidents for the year 2011 and also deliberated upon the measures required to be instituted both at the state and centre level to reduce road accident fatalities.
He stated that the number of on-road vehicles of all categories of Manipur as on 31st March this year was 2,01,261. During the year 2011, a total of 692 road accidents occurred in Manipur, of which 83 accidents took place on National Highways and 28 on State Highways. A total of 63 persons were grievously injured. He reported that the Department of Transport, Manipur organised mass sensitisation programmes on transport system in coordination with Manipur Bar Council, Traffic Police, Transport associations and Driver associations. To regulate a systematic traffic flow in respect of urban transport, a multi disciplinary body called Traffic Regulation and Parking Committee with members drawn from various government departments was formed. State Transport Authority was actively working on a viable State Transport Policy for Manipur.
Dr. Ratankumar also drew the attention of the apex National Road Safety Council for giving special attention towards the safety aspects of both passengers and vehicles against robbery and looting on National Highways and other State Highways, inter district roads and other district roads by way of providing more way-side amenities.
Manipur Works and Transport Minister also pointed out the conditions of the National Highways in Manipur which were lack of many safety features. The portion of National Highways in the hilly region was not having proper geometrics like proper super elevation and extra widening at the curves. In some portions, the gradient of the Highway was exceeded the permissible limit. Almost the entire length of the Highways in the hilly regions of Manipur was without Protective Crash Barrier. The end point of the medians was having high potential of being hit by running vehicles and it should be provided with modern means of crash absorber. Almost the entire length of the Highways was without proper safty sign and reflective delineator. Reflective delineators were required along the central line of the double lane road.Lack of proper maintenance by mending potholes in time was also one of the causes of road accidents on the National Highways.
He also mentioned that the State level Road Safety Council was developing a co-ordinated road safety measures. Frequent mass awareness programmes, targeted sensitisation programme, mobile sensitisation programme,, inclusion of road safety measures in school curriculum, strengthening of enforment agencies, formation of emergency response service mechanism, trauma care centre were some of the co-ordinated Road Safety measures in Manipur.
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Dr. C.P. Joshi observed that while the road accidents had come down in eight states and seven UTs, in some other states they had increased further. The main reasons for increasing number of accidents were identified as drivers fault, overspeeding, drunken driving and overloading.
Dr. Joshi appealed to the Transport Ministers that the Central and the state governments should together address the road safety issue. However, there were issues which state governments have to address on their own on a priority basis. This included setting up of state road safety councils and district road safety committees, setting up of road safety funds by pooling of 50% of the penalties realised by way of compounding of traffic offences, identifying and rectification of black spots on state highways and rural roads, being followed by states such as setting up of more driving schools with private participation, inclusion of road safety curriculum in school syllabus etc. The Minister also appealed to the states to adopt best practices from other states. The Tamil Nadu model of RADMS, the Kerala Road Safety Act etc. could be replicated by states. He also desired more such interaction with the state governments.
After the meeting, Manipur Works and Transport Minister Dr. Kh. Ratankumar called on the Union Minister of Road Transports and Highways Dr. C.P.Joshi and requested him to provide all kinds of assistance from the Centre towards the development of backward state of Manipur.