Jammu, July 23: Faced with severe criticism over frequent road mishaps which claimed hundreds of lives in this hilly State, the Transport Department has embarked upon a new strategy to check the over speeding of vehicles to decrease the number of accidents.
 According to official sources, as many as 77 persons died and 802 were wounded in 669 road mishaps that were reported in Jammu region till May this year. “Over 160 people had lost their lives while 500 other sustained critical injuries in about 170 road accidents in 2009,” officials said.
 The figures reveal that more than 1300 people had lost their lives in various road mishaps across the state in last 15 months.
 Official said the idea behind maintaining the speed limit was to minimize the road mishaps and to punish those violating it.
 “The limit on any stretch is to be fixed after keeping in mind the vehicle type, road banking and norm of the speed limit,” officials said, adding “Jammu and Srinagar cities along with the highway would be covered under the system in first phase while interior roads would also be included later.”
 Talking to Greater Kashmir, Inspector General of Police (Traffic), Hemant Kumar Lohia said the department had constituted a board which is studying the road conditions and type of vehicles in the state.
 “The Board study would depend on basic gradients, riding surface and safety measures so that the speed limit could be fixed. Thereafter, we will notify the guidelines and any kind violation would become punishable.”
 The IGP said the Board was conducting the study and would submit its report to the government. If and when, the government accepts and notifies our report, the speed limit would be fixed on roads, he added. “I am hopeful it would come into effect within two months.”
 Lohia said the department had also submitted a proposal to the government for installation of electronic signal system.
 “We have proposed installation of speedometer fitted with cameras so that any violation could be noticed easily and offenders could be challaned.”

Lastupdate on : Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST