The Uttar Pradesh government is set to hold Road Safety Fortnight in the state from April 22 to May 4 as part of the Transport Department’s efforts to reduce road accidents by 50 per cent.

Officials here said on Saturday that the Road Safety Fortnight would be observed in all districts with inter-departmental coordination from April 22 to May 4. As overspeeding, wrong-side driving, mobile phone usage, and drunk driving are major causes of road accidents, raising awareness about traffic rules is considered paramount in curbing road mishaps.

During the fortnight, all school vehicles in the state will be checked for their fitness and the fitness of their drivers. Students will be briefed on road safety and traffic rules during prayer meetings in all educational institutions, and a road safety oath will be administered.

In addition, health cards will be made mandatory for commercial drivers. Overloading will be strictly prohibited at source points by the task force. Furthermore, the Transport Department will ensure strict compliance with timely orders issued to reduce road accidents. This way, many lives can be saved.

Furthermore, instructions have been given that meetings of all divisional and district-level road safety committees should be held compulsorily. All Divisional Commissioners and District Magistrates have been asked to decide a day for this. Public representatives regarding road accidents will also be invited to the meeting and their suggestions taken.

Additionally, subject experts and representatives of voluntary organizations can also be invited to the meeting. The committee’s meeting will analyze road accidents and take action accordingly. If any driver receives more than three consecutive challans, their license will be revoked. Despite this, if they continue to violate regulations, their vehicle registration will be cancelled.

Furthermore, regular inspections of the available critical care facilities in the district will also be conducted so that individuals affected by road accidents can receive treatment within the district itself. Aapda Mitras have also been trained to rescue injured individuals in road accidents. Arrangements will be made to inform them in case of a road accident.