Road accidents in Punjab have declined by 48 per cent after the constitution of the Sadak Surakhya Force (SSF) in the state, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said on Sunday.
Once among the top three states in the country in terms of road accident fatalities, Punjab has significantly reversed the trend due to faster hospitalisation and improved treatment protocols, he said in a statement here.
Highlighting the impact of this intervention, Mann said the SSF has been central in transforming accident-prone stretches such as the Patiala-Sirhind, once dubbed a “killer road”, and supporting the construction of 43,000 kilometres of high-quality roads across the state.
The model has attracted interest from several other states, he added.
Mann said, “Punjab has witnessed a 48 per cent reduction in road accident deaths, due to which several other states are now eager to replicate this model.”
He said that many states have contacted the Punjab government to implement this unique public safety initiative in their own regions.
The prime minister spoke about road safety in ‘Mann Ki Baat’, but Punjab showed the entire country a new path by creating the Sadak Surakhya Force, Mann said.
“A specially trained force of 1,597 personnel is acting as the backbone of the SSF and has been provided with 144 latest, fully equipped vehicles,” he added.
The chief minister said, since its launch in February last year, this force has reduced road accident fatalities by 48 per cent, besides ensuring the safe return of valuables and money belonging to people injured in road accidents.
“The force has been deployed along 4,200 kilometres of highways that are prone to traffic accidents. Apart from patrolling their assigned areas. The SSF also acts as a strong deterrent against traffic violations,” he noted.
None of the previous governments paid attention to such serious issues of public concern, due to which Punjab earlier was among the top three states in road accident casualties, he said.
Mann asserted that today, accident victims are receiving immediate first aid and proper treatment in hospitals.>
