Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 5: Over 2,400 persons were killed and 21,335 others injured in as many as 25,551 road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir in the past two-and-a-half years, prompting the authorities to chalk out a strategy to deal with the problem.
While 506 persons lost their lives in 3,221 road accidents up to July this year, as many as 992 persons were killed in 5,861 cases last year and 990 others in 6,469 accidents in 2013, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was informed today.
In a written reply, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed – who also holds Home portfolio – said 4,611 persons were injured in road accidents up to July this year.
While 8,043 persons were injured in road accidents last year, another 8,681 were injured in such incidents in 2013.
More persons had died in road accidents in Jammu region than in the Kashmir Valley. While 347 persons died in Jammu region this year, the number of dead was 686 last year and 637 a year before.
Jammu city accounted for most of the deaths with 213 reported in 2013, followed by 165 in 2014 and 77 up to July this year.
As many as 33 persons died in the summer capital Srinagar up to July this year, while 58 persons lost their lives in the district in 2014 and another 59 in 2013.
The highway districts of Samba, Kathua, Udhampur and Ramban in Jammu recorded more than 50 deaths every year.
In Ladakh region, which is part of Kashmir division, 44 persons died in road accidents in 2013, 49 in 2014 and 18 till July this year.
A series of measures have been taken to minimise the occurrence of road accidents, ensure free flow of traffic particularly in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar and enforcement of traffic rules, the Chief Minister said.
He said licences of erring drivers, especially of Public Service Vehicles, are being recommended for cancellation to the concerned Regional Transport Officers or Assistant RTOs in order to curb the tendency of rash and negligent driving, overloading, over-speeding by habitual offenders.
The Chief Minister said an amount of Rs 95.05 lakh has been paid as ex-gratia to the victims of road accidents at the rate of Rs 25,000 to the next of kin of deceased, Rs 10,000 to seriously injured and Rs 5,000 to those who have received minor injuries.
The death toll stayed below two digit figure in nine of the 12 districts in Kashmir division this year, while the figures revealed that only eight persons each died in Shopian and Pulwama districts last year.
Pulwama district accounted for only eight deaths in road accidents in 2013, thus remaining the only district in the division where the toll did not cross the double digit figure in the past two-and-a-half years.
Among the 10 districts of Jammu region, only Kishtwar did not touch the double digit figure as only four deaths were reported from the district till July this year.
Among measures taken to check road accidents, the Chief Minister said, ban on issuance of permits in respect of four wheelers, mini-buses in the hilly districts in Jammu region including Doda and Poonch is being enforced strictly.
Issuance of licence to drive public service vehicles has been made more stringent wherein a person becomes eligible to acquire PSV licence only after three years of possessing a light motor vehicle licence, he said.
All commercial or passenger vehicles of 25 years’ old or more have been taken off the roads, while all 15 years’ old or older passenger vehicle are required to undergo mechanical fitness test twice a year.
State Road Safety Council and District Road Safety Councils have been constituted to address the increasing trend of road accidents, Sayeed said.
He said 21 recovery cranes and 15 ambulances have been provided to provide immediate rescue and emergency medical services to road accident victims under the National Highway Accident Relief Service.
In written reply to another question, the Chief Minister said the Government has adopted a multi pronged strategy which aims at strict enforcement of traffic laws or rules and decongestion of the roads for ensuring better management of traffic especially in the two capital cities and towns of the State.
The National Highway from Qazigund to Srinagar is presently under upgradation to four lane status which on completion would ease the pressure on the congested road stretches passing through these towns.
The Chief Minister said the Police Department has requested the Army and other security forces to segregate their convoys so as to ease the traffic pressure at Pantha Chowk stretch of the highway.
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