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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu flagged off 27 police motorcycles from his official residence in Shimla to raise awareness on road safety on Sunday.
As per an official release, out of the 27 motorcyles, 14 motorcycles will be provided to Kangra district police, while 13 will be given to Mandi district police. Additionally, in the coming days, 42 four-wheeler vehicles, 14 interceptor vehicles, and 10 wrecker vehicles for rescue operations will be made available to the police districts of Shimla, Nurpur, Mandi, and Kangra. A budget of Rs 90 crore has been allocated for the purchase of 3,373 road safety equipment for these four police districts. So far, over 1,200 pieces of equipment have already been provided to the police department at a cost of Rs 5.71 crore. For the establishment of an integrated road safety enforcement system in Shimla, approximately Rs 60 crore has been allocated. This system will be linked with more than 450 artificial intelligence-based speed and surveillance cameras in Shimla, Kangra and Mandi districts, enabling the police to transition towards digital monitoring of traffic regulations in the state. Furthermore, a Mass Action Plan has been prepared with an estimated expenditure of Rs 34.66 crore. Under this plan, safety improvements will be ensured on 20 percent of the most unsafe link road networks in Shimla district. The Public Works Department and other related departments will collaborate to implement this initiative effectively. A Good Samaritan Law awareness program is being conducted in seven districts of the state for road safety awareness. Under this program, over 300 police and home guard personnel have been trained in basic life support techniques. Additionally, more than 200 police officers have undergone extensive training in traffic safety enforcement and road accident investigation techniques. For the first time, an iRAP (International Road Assessment Programme) survey has been conducted for approximately 7,500 kilometers of roads in Himachal Pradesh. Based on this survey, roads have been rated according to safety standards. A 10-year Safe Road Investment Plan, with an estimated investment of Rs 3,200 crore, has been formulated, which would rope in the Public Works Department, Transport Department, and other relevant agencies. As a result of the present state government's efforts over the past two years, a decline in road accidents and casualties has been recorded and road accidents in Himachal Pradesh have decreased by 6.48 percent. In the year 2023, there were 2,253 accidents, whereas in the year 2024, the number dropped to 2,107. The fatality rate has also improved, with 892 deaths recorded in the year 2023, reducing to 806 in the year 2024. The state government has prioritised road safety by implementing several corrective measures, leading to this improvement. PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh, Mayor Municipal Corporation Shimla Surender Chauhan, ACS KK Pant, DGP Atul Verma, and other senior officials of the department were present on this occasion. (ANI)
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