District Road Safety Committee meeting resolves to enforce safety measures strictly

DARJEELING: With the number of fatal accidents steadily on the rise, the district road safety committee met at the state guest house in Siliguri on Saturday and resolved to enforce measures strictly.

“It is a routine meeting where we had detailed discussion on road safety measures including signage, lighting, speed breakers, dividers and repair works. There will be visits to different localities and it will be decided where all these measures are required,” stated S Ponnambalam, District Magistrate, Darjeeling.

Representatives of the PWD, Police, Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority, Siliguri Municipal Corporation and Health department were present in the meeting.

“We have also made some decisions. There will be stringent checkings specially for road worthiness modalities of heavy vehicles. Teams will be posted round the clock at Ghosh Pukur Toll gate to check overloading of vehicles,” added the DM.

Ponnambalam stated that road safety is being looked into seriously and a time line has been drawn for the implementation of various measures. “In the first week of January the committee will meet again to review the developments,” added the DM.

A separate meeting will be called at the SDO level along with police and corporation representatives to look into various issues pertaining to autos and e-rickshaws. “There are a lot of technicalities involved in this,” stated Ponnambalam.

Regarding violations pertaining to entry of trucks in the city, the DM stated that there is a time restriction already in place. “This will be strictly implemented. Stringent action will be taken against any violation” he stated. Regarding the Covid-19 situation of the district and the decrease in numbers of RTPCR testing, Ponnambalam said: “Earlier people were also getting themselves voluntarily tested in the OPDs. This has reduced drastically with the number of cases going down. We are sensitizing the masses requesting them to get tested if having any Covid19 like symptoms.”

Vigilance in markets, crowded places and roads is being beefed up to enforce mask wearing, informed the District Magistrate.