DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Wednesday, stressed for the need to adopt best practices for preventing road accidents there by decreasing mortality rate in road accidents, simplify public dealings in the Transport department and providing services at citizens' doorsteps.

During a meeting held with the 14 members delegation of the All India Federation of Motor Vehicles Department Technical Executive Officer's Association here at Punjab Bhawan, S. Laljit Singh Bhullar said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led government, along with the state's ongoing efforts to improve various aspects of transport administration and reinforce its dedication to creating safer roads for all citizens, is eager to adopt best practices of other states in various areas of transport management and proactively tackling one of the most pressing issues of public safety. The meeting was focused on improving licensing, registration, fitness certification, enforcement, taxation and road safety measures in Punjab.

Bhullar highlighted that since taking office, the Mann government has prioritized streamlining public services and making them more accessible to citizens. He outlined several state achievements, including the establishment of a Sadak Surakhiya Force of 5000 dedicated personnel equipped with 144 high-tech vehicles, and the introduction of the Farishtay Scheme to save the lives of road accident victims.

Bhullar also mentioned the introduction of 55 smart services related to driving licenses and registration, with 38 of these services not requiring applicants to visit the concerned office. For 17 services, applicants need to visit the office at least once. He said that the vehicle fitness is being conducted by motor vehicle inspectors using mobile tablet-based technology. The state has also introduced an e-invoicing system for manual challans, provided 1200 e-challan machines to traffic police and implemented e-payment facilities for challan payments.

The Cabinet Minister further noted that the department has implemented vehicle scrapping and electric vehicle policies for ensuring safer roads and pollution-free environment.

Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar announced that a national-level conference on road safety will be held in the state of Punjab in November this year to addressing road safety issues and fostering collaboration with experts from across the country. He said that this conference will serve as a platform for sharing best practices, discussing innovative strategies and developing comprehensive approaches to enhance road safety measures in Punjab and beyond.
(editor@dailyworld.in)