Making Amritsar a Safe City: Dr Kamaljeet Soi

By Samachar Vishesh News

Chandigarh, Oct.14, 2021:- After the successful launch of Mission Safe Ludhiana, Mission Safe Amritsar was launched at the Press conference held in the city today by Dr Kamaljeet Soi Member- National Road Safety Council , Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India , Chairman of the NGO Raahat - The Safe Community Foundation & President – Global Society of Safety Professionals. Mission Safe Amritsar aims to ensure better compliance of Road Safety regulations in the holy city of Golden Temple.

Dr Kamaljeet Soi & his NGO Raahat - The Safe Community Foundation have been taking up the issues of road safety for the last 20 years and has been recognized at State, National & International level for the work done in this field.

Sharing his views about the traffic situation in the city Dr Kamaljeet Soi said that it is completely marred by traffic disorders, flagrant and brazen violations wherein he also highlighted some chronic issues at particular traffic spots in and around the city resulting in accidents causing grievous injuries and loss of Human Life and as a result city making it the into the list of 20 most unsafe cities as per WHO Report.

Commenting on city traffic conditions Dr Kamaljeet Soi said that there are various problems ailing the traffic mobility here and multiple measures are required to make the city safe Dr Soi, particularly emphasized upon the strict implementation of High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) to curb the increasing crime in this sensitive border city and strict pollution control measures as vehicular pollution due to increased traffic mobility has turned into a slow and a silent killer.

On strict implementation of HSRP Dr Kamaljeet Soi said that the program which was initiated by the Punjab Government in year 2012 but nothing much moved in this direction for years and as a result even today almost 20 lakh vehicles are still plying on the roads of Punjab sans HSRP and they are adding new and alarming dimensions to the criminal activities in the state. The need of the hour is a complete implementation of HSRP code and it’s effective follow-up

The Principal Secretary, Government of Punjab, Department of Transport had notified a penalty/ challan amount of Rs. 2000/- for first offence and Rs. 3000/- for subsequent offence via notification number 10/166/2009- 1T2/809 dated the 27^th July 2020 for vehicle owners who have still not affixed HSRPs on their vehicles. Conversely, in the last 15 months, the Traffic Police has not undertaken any enforcement drive that has resulted in nonchalant attitude on the part of the vehicle owners. 

To add to the problems, some miscreants under a fraudulent practice are affixing counterfeit/ fake HSRPs on the vehicles. Although some of these vehicles have been impounded by the Police, a large number of vehicles are still plying on the roads without HSRPs. An immediate action is required to stop this menace or these vehicles will remain a threat to the security of the city, state in particular and the nation at large.

Keeping in mind the existing scenario, the Office of the State Transport Commissioner, Punjab, vide letter number STC – P(P-2)/20502-602 has sent a communication dated the 12th of August 2021 to all the Regional Transport authorities as well as to the SDM’s in the State highlighting the same concern. The official notification clearly indicates that Vanity Numbers which had been allotted to the vehicle owners in lieu of payment after 12.06.1989 with registration mark other than “PB” State code and other parts of the registration mark and are not in conformity with the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 should be surrendered to the state. Also, the vehicle owners have been asked to get new registration marks in conformity to the above said Act.

Speaking on pollution control  Soi  said we must  start a campaign for enforcing the colour-coded sticker scheme to identify polluting vehicles on the roads as the colour-coded stickers are meant for identifying vehicles based on their fuel type, with light blue colour stickers for petrol and CNG, and orange ones for diesel driven vehicles this will also help authorities to identify the old vehicles poorly equipped with  outdated technology and emitting the dangerous and life threatening pollutants.

He also exhorted the state transport department to immediately issue necessary instructions to its officers to start enforcing the scheme to keep a check on air pollution.