GUWAHATI, June 10 - The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is currently conducting a month-long safety drive with special focus on safety at manned and unmanned level crossings.
The stress is on ensuring availability of full complement of equipment, speed breakers, whistle boards, smooth approach roads, road signs and stop boards, availability of electronic power supply and adequate visibility for both train drivers and road users at the level crossings.
All the divisions of the Maligaon-headquartered NFR are organising public awareness campaigns to educate and counsel road users and distributing posters, pamphlets and handbills in gram panchayats, markets, petrol pumps and other public places.
SMS alerts for awareness of road users are being sent.
A campaign is also being carried out through various media, including newspapers, television, radio, slide shows in cinema halls, and loudspeakers mounted on rickshaws to appeal to road users to observe precautions embodied in the Motor Vehicles Act and the Railway Act.
The NFR divisions are also organising safety seminars and street plays at various places, including road transport offices and educational institutions.
Officers and staff of the Indian Railways are involved in all these activities.
Joint ambush checks involving Railway Protection Force, Government Railway Police and civil authorities are being carried out at level crossings to apprehend errant road users under sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.
The NFR has a large number of manned and unmanned level crossings. Although standard protocols of safety are followed at all level crossings, they are the most vulnerable areas as far as safety is concerned.
NFR officials said counselling of road users and railway staff directly or indirectly involved with the operation of level crossings is an important focus area of the Railways.
