Road safety awareness programme by Darrang Transport Dept with a difference

MANGALDAI, Sept 28 - �Road safety is not simply the rules of the roads. It is a safe and healthy way of life. Safety begins from children and women,� Spreading this strong message among vehicle owners, drivers and co-passengers, the Darrang Transport Department on Friday observed awareness on road safety and the new MV Act (Amended)-2019 with a difference.

All the field staff of the department led by the District Transport Officer (DTO) Kumar Sanjib Krishna were seen at different public locations along the NH-15 of Mangaldai, including at the public bus stand at Begamukh and College point, where they stopped motorcycle riders and pillion riders without helmets and cautioned them about the consequences of riding without wearing helmets. The District Transport Officer also presented helmets each to children and women pillion riders without helmets.

The initiative seemed to surprise the bike drivers and pillion riders as they were expecting some penalties but not a gift for violation. �We should have been fined but we were offered gifts. We had never expected such an action. It will be lesson for a lifetime�, a woman pillion rider not willing to reveal her name told this correspondent.

The officials and staff of the Transport Department well assisted by the Mangaldai Police also warned the passengers of four wheelers without seat belts. Later talking to this correspondent, DTO Sanjib Krishna said , �On a bike, the pillion riders, especially the children and women are more vulnerable to accidents. But we often ignore this. So under the guidance of our Transport Minister and Transport Commissioner, we are just trying to spread a message regarding this by presenting helmets to 50 such riders. We appeal to all to become good citizens by obeying the new traffic rules and stop us form executing legal actions from next time onwards.� The daylong awareness programme also featured several street dramas on road safety measures.