LAHORE: A meeting of a special committee constituted by the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to formulate an action plan to avoid road accidents was held here at the Civil Secretariat on Tuesday.
Additional Punjab Chief Secretary Shamail Ahmad Khawaja, who is also co-convener of the committee, presided over the meeting, which went through enquiry reports of the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team, and formulated an action plan in the light of findings and recommendations, besides suggesting effective measures to ensure its implementation.
Shamail Khawaja and other members of the committee noted with grief that rash and negligent driving, mechanical faults in old vehicles, road geometric design issues, lack of traffic sense, prevailing literacy among drivers, fake fitness certificates were some of the major causes resulting in deadly traffic accidents.
The committee called for enactment of the Punjab Road Safety Authority Act within the next two months. In this connection, the chief minister had already established the Punjab Road Safety Authority through an executive order.
According to a statement, the act, once implemented, will empower traffic police and traffic engineering staff to modernise drivers’ training, testing and licensing system, besides improving road geometry designing and identification of black spots.
The meeting directed the authorities concerned to establish vehicles fitness and certification stations at district level, while Directorate of Road Safety Audit would also be established in each district headquarter. The meeting decided to bridge gaps in the implementation of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance. It was also decided that a new bill titled Punjab Road Safety Authority Act would be introduced in the Punjab Assembly for promulgation.
“Both the laws will be implemented in the same time, while establishment of standardised schools of motoring will also be promoted in private sector,” Shamail Khawaja said. It was also suggested to provide monitory assistance as compensation to heirs of victims of road incidents – both for commuters and passersby.
Transport Punjab Secretary Captain (r) Saif Anjum, Law Secretary Dr Abu Al Hasan Najmi, Home Department Additional Secretary Khawar Kamal, Additional Secretary (Public Prosecution) Muhammad Maqsood Ahmed, DIG Traffic Farooq Mazhar, AIG Dr Muhammad Akbar, Transport Planning Unit Director Dr Murtaza Bukhari and Rescue 1122 Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer Mehmood Akhter participated in the meeting.
