Sea-change in transport department within five months,says minister

As a part of the administrative reforms being undertaken by the government,comprehensive changes would be made in the working of the Punjab Transport Department.

As a part of the administrative reforms being undertaken by the government,comprehensive changes would be made in the working of the Punjab Transport Department. Stating this here today on the concluding day of Road Safety Fortnight,Punjab Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal said that in the next five months,the functioning of the department would be made hassle-free and effective.

During the function,it was announced that licenses and registration works would be made online and as many as 100 driving schools would be opened and brought in the loop to issue driving licenses,which would be sent to the people at their doorsteps after issue. The minister also announced that driving and road safety would be made a university subject.

Expressing concerns over the states accident rate,he said that on an average 10 persons lose their lives daily to accidents in Punjab and not even a single day passes when he does not read accident news in the newspaper. The transport minister pointed out that there is a pressing need for people to obey traffic rules.

The minister said that Road Safety Fortnight was started on December 24,on the eve of former prime minister and BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayees birthday. It was during his tenure as PM that widening of roads to four-lanes and six-lanes started in the country, Mohan Lal said,recalling an incident where Vajpayee was moved after an animal died in a road accident when he was coming from Chamba with Lal.

Later,at a press conference,Lal said that it was a proud moment for Punjab as Punjab Roadways was being honoured by the Union government for the least rate of bus accident. Bathinda MP Harsimrat Badal too attended the function. Speaking on the occasion,she said that the police should start from the top while issuing challans to traffic violators. Invoking Mahatma Gandhis principle Be the change you want to see in the worl Harsimrat said,Do challan VIPs if they violate the traffic rules. Start from the top. Pehlan teeon teeon kardian gadian de challan kato (First start challaning VIP vehicles with Sirens).

She also pointed out that during surprise raids,she had found that many government officials remain absent from duty. A number of road safety experts spoke on the occasion and supplemented their presentations with pictures of traffic violations.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram