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La Gazette de L' État de Poudouchéry
The Gazette of Puducherry
PART - I
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29 {
No.
109
Poudouchéry
Mardi
29
Décembre
2015
(8 Pausa 1936)
No.
Puducherry
Tuesday
29th
December
2015
GOVERNMENT OF PUDUCHERRY
TRANSPORT SECRETARIAT
(G.O. Ms. No. 27/Tr.Sectt//2015, dated 28th December 2015)
NOTIFICATION
Whereas, taking into consideration, the grim road safety scenario, the
Government of India, Ministry of Road Transport and High ways, New Delhi has
directed the State/Union Territory Governments to prepare and notify State Level
Road Safety Policy and Action Plans in a multipronged approach so as to reduce
the incidence of road accidents in the country aiming to reduce fatalities and
road accidents by 50% by the year 2020.
And whereas, the Lead Agency with the involvement of Line Departments
has prepared the Road Safety Policy and Action Plan for the Union territory of
Puducherry.
And, therefore, the Lieutenant-Governor, Puducherry is pleased to approve
the Road Safety Policy and Action Plan for the Union territory of Puducherry as
appended to this notification. As per the policy statement, the Line Departments
shall prepare an action plan for improving road safety in a time bound manner
with annual targets and commensurate allocation of resources in coordination
with Lead Agency.
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The fund realized vide G.O. Ms. No. 16/Tr.Sectt/2015, dated 20-8-2015
notifying Road Safety Fund Rules for the Union territory of Puducherry and
G.O Ms. No. 17/Tr.Sectt/2015, dated 20-8-2015 notifying Compounding of Offences
under Motor Vehicles Act,1988, along with budgetary provisions shall be utilized
in improving the road safety measures in the Union territory of Puducherry.
This issues with the concurrence of the Finance Department vide their
U.O. No. 2403/F-5/A1/15-16, dated 7-10-2015.
(By order of the Lieutenant-Governor)
S. THAMMU GANAPATHY,
Deputy Secretary to Government (Transport).
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ROAD SAFETY POLICY AND ACTION PLANS FOR
THE UNION TERRITORY OF PUDUCHERRY
1. Preamble :
Puducherry, a Union Territory with legislature, comprises of four regions
namely Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam lying geographically separated
from one another with an area of 493 sq. kms. Owing to its historic background
and better development index is witnessing growing urbanization. As per 2011
census, the population of Union territory of Puducherry is 12.48 lakhs with 68.31%
living in urban area. The past two decades have witnessed accelerated urbanization,
increased urban sprawl, vehicle ownership, traffic volume which has resulted in
congestion, delays, rise in accidents and pollution levels, etc., which poses
potential threat to the economic vitality and productive efficiency of the society.
There are 7, 59,407 registered vehicles in the Puducherry (as on 10th December
2014) with more than 50% of the private vehicles registered in the last decade.
The National Crime Records Bureau has observed highest rate of accidental deaths
per lakh population in the Union territory of Puducherry.
Consequent upon the global concern over increasing rate of fatalities arising
out of road accidents and the proportion of accidents in developing countries,
the United Nations General Assembly has declared “2011-2020” as the “Decade
of Action for Road Safety” laying down guidelines to reduce this menace, universally
accepted including the Government of India. In pursuance of the direction of Apex
Court and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the Government of
Puducherry has proposed to frame a State Policy on Road Safety covering both
preventive and post-accident aspects of Road Safety encompassing initiatives
of public policy as well as implementable Action Plan agenda.
A Puducherry Road Safety Policy and Action Plan is a critical initiative
in the effort to improve road safety issues to a position of high priority on the
state agenda. The policy and Action Plan provides the basis for working toward
attaining the vision of “accident free Puducherry” by promoting safe mobility
for all. It creates a framework for relevant Governmental departments and Agencies
towards the rational use of scarce resources and reducing duplication of effort
in fulfilling the set vision.
2. Vision :
The vision for Puducherry is to have accident free and safe mobility for
all. The policy will pave way to embrace and incorporate the legislative, enforcement,
financial, physical and socio-economic structures required to achieve the set vision
in accordance with internationally accepted standards so that all concerned actors
in society will work in harmony by cooperating and sharing knowledge, expertise
and resources to reduce road accidents.
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2.1 Goals :
Efficient road safety work requires the setting of clear objectives. In
order to ensure the overall objective of a safe, equitable, sustainable and efficient
transportation system, the Government of Puducherry through this policy and
Action Plan statements proposes to achieve the following road safety goals:
(i) Reduce the occurrence and severity of road accidents and
consequently, the level of fatalities and injuries in an efficient and
professional manner.
(ii) Reduce road accidents by at least 50% over the next five years
(by 2020) and to maintain zero growth level further.
(iii) Improve road users safety and road users behaviours.
(iv) Periodically evaluate these goals and revisit the same with better
knowledge gained in the field.
2.2 Problem statement :
India accounts for 10 per cent of the total 1.3 million road accident
fatalities worldwide despite having only one per cent of the world's vehicle
population. As per the National Crime Records Bureau’s 2013 report, about 1.37 lakh
people were killed in around 4.43 lakh road accidents in the year 2013. As reported
in 2013, there are about 377 death and 1287 injuries per day due to road accidents.
The National Crime Records Bureau in its 2013 report has reported that the highest
rate of accident deaths occur in Union territory of Puducherry with 68.3 deaths
per lakh population as compared to National average of 32.6. In 2013, 1451 numbers
of road accidents with 228 fatalities have been reported.
The social costs of accidents have been valued between 2 to 3 per
cent of the GDP every year. With the above rate, India is losing more than
` 1 lakh crore a year because of road accidents besides social costs such as loss
of human life and trauma which is to be reversed at the earliest. Therefore, a
Road Safety Policy and Action Plan to bring down the accelerating accident rate
in the Union territory of Puducherry is the need of the hour.
3. The Policy :
Road safety is a diverse field that requires strong association and
partnership both within agencies and with outside organizations in order to facilitate
an integrated and coherent approach to policy formulation and implementation.
Road safety is to be considered as a shared responsibility and not as
responsibility of single or the nodal agency. The responsibility is to be shared
between Government departments, citizens, media, industry, professionals and
related NGO’s.
The Puducherry Road Safety Policy and Action Plan is formulated in
accordance with the six “E’s” strategy for the reduction/prevention of accidents
devised in the National Road Safety Policy guidelines such as:-
(a) Education
(b) Enforcement
(c) Engineering (Roads and related infrastructure)
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(d) Engineering (Safer vehicles)
(e) Emergency care and
(f) Enactment and strengthening of institutional mechanism
The policy has been outlined in the following implementable action
points:
3.1 Education :
In order to achieve significant improvement in Road Safety, the
Government of Puducherry will make serious efforts to promote the awareness
about road safety problems, its social and economic implications. It will facilitate
various stake holders of State for planning and promoting road safety. As awareness
among citizens will enable them to treat it as important State problem, the following
action plans are proposed:
(i) The Nodal Agency along with Enforcement Agencies will take
up awareness campaigns through Print and Electronic Media and make
use of the social networking sites and advertising at social places.
public education campaigns will be undertaken on a sustained basis
and there shall be continuous efforts by making use of all available
technologies to reach out to general public.
(ii) Special emphasis will be placed in integrating road safety
education in the school curriculum and in proper teacher training.
(iii) Volunteers and youth in the villages along National highways
and State highways will be identified and their skill in dealing with
road safety and trauma care issues will be built.
(iv) Driver education and testing (which leads to certification) will
expose learner Drivers to the principles of road safety such as the roles
of speed, alcohol and drugs in accidents; the value of safety device
use; road rage managing skills; night driving; the importance of route
planning and time scheduling.
(v) Driver education in terms of refresher training to heavy vehicle
Drivers and school bus Drivers will be provided for which model driver
training schools will be established with a system of training,
certification and re-certification of Drivers and certification of driving
Instructors to improve efficiency and to minimize fraudulent activities.
(vi) In line with National Road Safety Week events, the road safety
week will be observed annually during January month wherein, the set
targets will be evaluated and reset. Community educative programmes
and media sensitive workshops such as rallies, street plays, puppet
shows and etc., will be organised as part of road safety education.
3.2 Enforcement :
Government will seek to improve the quality of traffic enforcement and
respond positively to Union Governments initiative. Adequate resources will be
provided and mechanisms strengthened for the effective enforcement of traffic
rules and regulations. The following Action Plans are proposed:
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(i) There shall be zero tolerance applied in relation to traffic
violations.
(ii) Sufficient law enforcement officials and traffic wardens will be
engaged to enforce traffic rules and regulations and will be provided
with all necessary equipments to check violations.
(iii) Stringent Driver Licence procedures (testing the competency)
and Stringent Fitness certificate procedures of vehicles (Roadworthiness
test of vehicles) will be adhered.
(iv) Strict enforcement on violations of speed limits, red light
jumping, use of mobile phones while driving, drunken driving,
dangerously parked vehicles along highways overloaded commercial/
passenger vehicles, dangerous projections and etc., will be carried out
and prosecuted.
(v) GPS/GIS based intelligent transport system combined with control
centre will be established for proper monitoring of traffic and proper
data on traffic offences will be captured in order to prosecute and
prevent traffic offences.
3.3 Engineering (Roads and related infrastructure) :
The Government will take steps to promote conscious planning for safe
design of roads, Safe roads and related infrastructure provisioning in Puducherry
will be initiated with identification and rectification of black spots. Identification
of locations with a high incidence of accidents will be mapped and corrective
measures undertaken to reduce conflicts in moving traffic. Enforcement Agencies
in Puducherry shall map the black spots and the information shall be shared with
concerned agency for implementation of roads and infrastructure. The Government
will adopt the following accident reduction strategies in providing safe road
infrastructure:
(i) By conducting necessary Road Safety Audits (RSA) as per the
protocol defined, the black spots on all major roads will be identified
and Action Plan will be devised for eliminating the black spots by
providing proper transition from higher order to lower order roads by
providing proper pedestrian cross overs and by providing speed calming
measures. Roads will be designed, constructed upgraded and made
consistent with code of practice and Indian Road Congress standards.
All State/National Highways will carry pavement markings and road
signs as per Indian Road Congress Standards.
(ii) The integrity of the right of way for Road will be maintained
and shall be kept free of obstacles. Roads and sidewalks will be kept
free of hawkers, derelict vehicles, unauthorized vehicles, debris and
obstacles. Hawkers shall be shifted to designated hawking zones as
identified in the Comprehensive Development Plan.
(iii) The capacity requirements of all roads will be reviewed on
regular basis and adequate provision for all categories of road users
such as motor vehicle, non-motorised traffic and pedestrians will be
upgraded accordingly, in keeping with the approved Comprehensive
Development Plans and Mobility plans prepared.
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(iv) Road side facilities will be provided and upgraded to give added
protection to vulnerable road users such as disabled, aged and children,
continuous footpaths with adequate width, pavement heights and ramps
will be provided.
(v) Adequate guidance and information to road users will be provided
and maintained through road signs, signals and markings along all the
roads in Puducherry.
(vi) All roads in the Union territory of Puducherry will be provided
with lighting facilities fulfilling Lux levels of International standards.
(vii) All the railway crossings in Puducherry will be provided with
manned railway gates, Railway-Over-Bridge (ROBs) and Railway-Under-
Bridge (RUBs) depending upon the peak PCUs and train crossings.
(viii) By conducting proper traffic studies, the public transport route
network will be rationalized and priority for public transport system
will be provided with necessary bus bays and bus shelters.
3.4 Engineering (Safer vehicles) :
The Government will take steps to promote statutory periodic inspection
as an essential check on the road-worthiness of all vehicles. Government will
take stringent measures to air quality emissions from vehicles. The Government
of Puducherry will emphasize the following:
(i) The regime of inspection and certification system and auditing
of vehicle inspection centres will be implemented and it will be ensured
that the vehicles plying on the road confirm to Bharat Standards
stipulated from time to time.
(ii) The commercial vehicles will be compelled to provide Speed
Governance and GPS system for tracking and monitoring.
(iii) It will be ensured that proper night reflective tapes are provided
in all vehicle categories including non-motorized vehicles. Under
protection devices in trucks and buses, proper installation of mirrors,
shutters and other facilities required as per Statutory Provisions will
be ensured while issuing Annual Fitness Certificates.
3.5 Emergency care :
The Government of Puducherry will make its earnest effort to ensure
that the persons involved in road accidents benefit from speedy and effective
trauma care and health management. The essential functions of such services
will include the provisions of rescue operation including pre medical care, First
aid at site of accident, transportation of victim to appropriate hospital within the
safe golden hour. In order to ensure medical care to accident victims within minimum
response time say 20 to 30 minutes, the following Action Plans are proposed:
(i) A Framework for the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System
with the aim of providing effective and economical emergency care will
be developed so as to maintain uniformity and continuity across the
State. This framework will specify the broad specifications, guidelines
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and protocols for the various components of EMS System
viz., Ambulances, Trauma Centres, Emergency Departments, Emergency
Medical Technicians, Communication, Dispatch Centres, Command and
Control Posts, etc.
(ii) Efficient towing and recovery of accident vehicles will be
implemented so as to reduce traffic congestion due to accidents.
(iii) A periodic audit for the already supplied ambulances and cranes
will be done with respect to their location, availability, utilization,
efficacy, manpower, uptime, etc.
(iv) The ambulances will be equipped with all emergency lifesaving
equipment’s and CCTV’s to interact with the Doctors while the seriously
injured person is in transit to the hospital.
(v) A single toll-free helpline system will be established in order
to effect seamless networking amongst health facilities, rescue services,
existing fleet of ambulances and etc.,
(vi) Regular training in first aid to the people who are near the
highways, heavy motor vehicle Drivers and Conductors will be carried
out.
(vii) Capacity building of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT)
and Doctor's with requisite skills in emergency response services will
be developed.
(viii) The Government Health Centres will be upgraded with proper
trauma care facilities.
3.6 Enactment (strengthening of institutional mechanism) :
The Government will make effective institutional arrangement and shall
create State Road Safety Fund with the objective of strengthening road safety
and implementation of road safety measures in the Union Territory of Puducherry.
The following Action Plans are proposed:
(i) The Road Safety Cell functioning in the Lead Agency
viz., Transport Department and the Traffic Police Unit in the Police
Department will be strengthened.
(ii) The penalty for traffic rules violations will be notified and from
the compounding of offences, State Road Safety Fund will be created.
(iii) The Road Safety Cell will organize periodic workshops on road
safety and ensure capacity building of officials from departments such
as Education Department, Excise Department, Health Department, Local
Administration Department, Police Department, Public Works
Department, Revenue Department, Town and Country Planning
Department, Transport Department and etc.,
(iv) The Road Safety Cell will create a mechanism for accident
reporting and a Road Safety information data base using the State of
Art Technology for black spots identification and analysis and for
seamless report generation will be established.
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online publication at “http://styandptg.puducherry.gov.in”
Government Central Press
Directorate of Stationery and Printing
Puducherry-9
4. Conclusion :
The Line Departments such as Education Department, Excise Department,
Health Department, Local Administration Department, Police Department, Public
Works Department, Revenue Department, Town and Country Planning Department,
Transport Department and etc., will prepare Action Plans based on this policy
statement and with the coordination of Lead Agency will implement the Action
Plans so as to reduce the incidence of road accidents from the present trend by
50 % by 2020 and to maintain zero growth level further.
The District/Regional/High Level Road Safety Committees and the State
Road Safety Council will periodically monitor and evaluate the status of road
safety in the Union Territory of Puducherry.
The Road Safety Policy and Action Plans will be reviewed periodically
once in three years and goals will be reset.
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