Govt notifies "The Jammu and Kashmir Road Safety Policy
2025"
Commits to reduce road accidents, fatalities by 50% by 2030
JAMMU, MARCH 14: Aiming prevention of
accidents and fatalities on roads, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir,
notified "The Jammu and Kashmir Road Safety Policy -2025".
In an official notification issued in
this regard, it was stated that the road transport is the most effective mode
of transportation in J&K and the government recognises that the road safety
demands an integrated and holistic approach to tackle road safety issues in the
UT.
Highlighting the need to frame new
Road Safety Policy, the notification briefed that there were over 22.66 lakh
registered vehicles in J&K. During the year 2022, 6092 road accidents were
reported in the UT in which 805 people lost their lives whereas in year 2023,
6298 accidents were reported and 893 people lost their lives.
As per data, 40% of all the accidents
have occurred in districts of Jammu, Udhampur, Samba and Kathua. Accidental
data analysis shows that number of accidents and fatality rate needs to be
brought down making it imperative to promote preventive strategy for road
safety.
Keeping in view the above data, the
government with a vision to achieve the goal of reduction in road accidents as
well as fatalities by 50% by 2030, reiterates its commitment to bring
significant reduction in road accidents in J&K in coordination with all stakeholders and
government agencies.
It is further said that the
government will create an effective institutional mechanism to strengthen the
road safety measures besides providing
necessary support structure to enable each institution to play its role
effectively.
The government will promote awareness
regarding road safety among the key decision makers and government departments
responsible for making provision of safer roads. The initiative will facilitate them for
planning and promoting road safety involving Motor Vehicles Department, Traffic
Police and citizens through effective involvement of print, electronic and
social media for creating awareness on Road Safety by highlighting the
consequences of road accidents.
In the new Road Safety Policy, the
institutional arrangements have been strengthened by constituting the State
Road Safety Council which shall be headed by the Minister In-charge Transport
and a lead agency headed by an officer of the rank of Additional Transport
Commissioner.
The government will ensure that best
practices are incorporated and accident
prevention and reduction strategies are adopted in a big way.
DRDCs shall conduct regular
identification of accident-prone areas/black spots on the basis of accident
intensity and severity after every six months. The corrective actions within six
months for the identified accident-prone areas/black spots through proper
planning design and construction techniques will be done.
The government will also establish an
accountability mechanism for defaulting contractors and consultants regarding
poorly constructed and maintained roads, including a process for black listing
them.
The notification said that
Development Authorities have already been entrusted with a responsibility to
create more parking spaces. Parking policy will be notified to impress upon the
vehicle owners to have parking space before vehicle is purchased. Further
Municipal/Development authorities should charge for road side parking with
charges increasing exponentially with time.
In order to reduce pressure on roads,
the government will adopt innovative features to encourage use of Public
Transport System instead of Private Transport System.
The government will also bring into
effect a Non-Motorized Transport policy for J&K to specifically recognise
the rights of non-motorised road users.
Expressing satisfaction with the Road
Safety Policy 2025, Transport Minister, Satish Sharma, asserted that new policy
will improve the quality of traffic enforcement in J&K in close
coordination with J&K Traffic Police and Motor Vehicles Department.
He said that the government will
ensure that the enforcement agencies are adequately trained and equipped to
undertake their functions more effectively and professionally.