Concern over lapses in road safety measures

From our Correspondent

MANGALDAI, December 19:  The District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) of Udalguri has expressed grave concern over the serious lapses in road safety measures in and around Udalguri town and other parts of the district.

Civil Judge and Assistant Sessions Judge-cum Secretary of the DLSA, Udalguri R Lal, vide letter No. DLSA (U) 1014 on December 18 has drawn the attention of the district administration and said that ‘as per one estimate of the WHO, Indian roads account for more than 150,000 deaths per year. Indian roads, so far as road safety is concerned, are considered as one of the most dangerous in the world accounting for more deaths than deaths due to terrorism and tural disaster put together’.  The DLSA letter requested the Deputy Commissioner to convene a meeting of the district road safety committee at the earliest where all stakeholders including the BTC authority (entrusted with the road transport department), the local PWD (road) authority, the Regiol Transport Authority, District Transport Authority, the district police administration, media persons and the civil society be invited. The DLSA further suggested the district administration to chalk out strategies for road safety in the Udalguri district and asked the Deputy Commissioner to take up corrective action with the help of police and transport authority as stated in a chronological order. The letter also informed that the civil society of Udalguri pointed out to the DLSA regarding the driving of two wheelers by minors without valid driving license and registration certificates.

The DLSA letter also expressed serious concern over the plying of the vehicles meant for plying in rural areas on the tiol Highway and asked the district administration to check all inter-district buses and to determine whether they are complying with the Supreme Court direction.

The DLSA took up the matter seriously when it came to know that many under aged school and college going children in Udalguri and Tangla towns had been driving   two wheelers in unusual speed, causing concern to the civil society.