By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Congress MLA Charles Pyngrope raised a concern over the number of deaths due to road accidents even as he pointed out that getting a driving licence has become easy nowadays.
He moved a cut motion on the discussion on the actual requirement of fund to meet the expenditure towards creation of road safety Corpus Fund by Transport Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar.
Pyngrope said there is no a need to go to DTO for any training or test to acquire or ascertain whether the person is qualified or fit to attain a driving licence.
As for the traffic rules, he said, “The persons giving the test and taking the test must know the rules. The police department doesn’t even know the rules.”
Pyngrope said that police personnel use hand gesture to drivers on the road and said, “Must know the rules first before they enforce it in the town.”
The government should organise a proper training for traffic police personnel for effective handling of traffic problems.
They will also be exposed for training in other parts of the country and outside, to familiarise with the management of traffic in congested cities and hilly areas, the minister suggested.
Replying to a query of MLA Nongpoh Mayralborn Syiem on drunken driving, Dhar replied “Safety campaigns shall be organised for motivating the drives to wear crash helmets, safety belts and to avoid drunken driving and use of mobile phones while driving.”
Supporting the cut fund, Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma said that there has to be response of multiple departments to prevent road accidents.
Sangma added that departments and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) should comply even as he said that the response is sluggish.
“The Government of India has a cess on road safety. Leave no stone unturned to make the road safer,” Sangma said.
Corpus fund
Dhar said that the Transport Department will establish a dedicated agency in the name of Meghalaya State Road Safety Society (MSRSS) to provide the necessary institutional infrastructure.
“The State Road Safety Corpus Fund to be set up by the Government of Meghalaya will be spent through the MSRSS,” he added.