CM Yogi stresses on strict compliance with traffic rules, road safety

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stressed on strict compliance with traffic rules with special emphasis on road safety and directed officials to take action against encroachments along expressways, national highways, Public Works Department roads, city roads and others by running a joint campaign with the departments concerned.

On Friday, Yogi directed officials to take strictest action against people in case of illegal recovery by traffic police, transport, geology and mining and GST personnel under the policy of zero tolerance towards corruption. In this regard, detailed guidelines were issued by the Home department to all divisional commissioners, district magistrates, four commissioners of police, and all district police chiefs.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi said that with special focus on removing encroachments, illegal parking lots and illegally-operated auto, taxi and bus stands by the roadside, officers had been directed to take effective steps.

“It will also ensure that traffic on public roads is not obstructed,” he said.

Officials were instructed that no vehicle like school bus, private bus, Transport department bus, private contract bus, truck, two-wheeler and four-wheeler be allowed to operate without the fitness certificate. They were further instructed to stop overloading of vehicles and initiate effective action under Gangsters Act/Goonda Act against illegal parking lots /vehicle stand operators.

The directive further said that vehicles should not be allowed to park at entry points in big cities and legal action be ensured against the dhaba owners concerned if vehicles were found parked at the roadside by dhabas without parking facilities.

To prevent overloading, special enforcement drives should be carried out to ensure that the trucks are loaded as per prescribed capacity.

Instructions have also been given to Geology, Mining and Transport departments to run joint campaigns to stop illegal mineral transportation /overloading.

The directive further states that National Highway Authority of India and Public Works Department should mark black spots and install an adequate number of signages showing schools, markets and important places, speed limits, modes etc. It said speed checks should be done at all toll plazas and breath analysers should be used to check if drivers were intoxicated.

Officials were told to put up hoardings at major public places and use FM radio channels for spreading awareness about traffic rules and road safety, especially among schoolchildren and college students. The directive stressed on developing public awareness on not using cell phones while driving and not performing stunts on roads.

Detailed guidelines have also been issued by the government regarding management of urban roads, cleanliness and beautification, increase of revenue of municipal bodies and work for urban poor and to fulfill the objective of Smart City.