Chandigarh, Jan 25 (IANS) Punjab has recorded an improvement in road safety outcomes after the constitution of the Sadak Surakhya Force (SSF), with road accident deaths declining by 48 per cent through a system focused on swift emergency response, immediate first aid and better trauma care.
Once counted among the top three states for road accident fatalities, Punjab has significantly reversed this trend, with lives now being saved due to faster hospitalisation and improved treatment protocols.
Highlighting the impact of this intervention, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday said the Sadak Surakhya Force has been central to transforming accident-prone stretches such as the Patiala-Sirhind ‘killer road’ and supporting the construction of 43,000 km of high-quality roads, adding the model has attracted interest from several other states and has even been referenced by the Prime Minister in Mann Ki Baat as a roadmap for the nation.
CM 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 many states have contacted the government to implement this unique public safety initiative in their own regions.
CM Mann stated, “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.”
The Chief Minister said, “A specially trained, freshly recruited force of 1,597 personnel is acting as the backbone of the SSF and has been provided with 144 latest, fully equipped vehicles. 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 km 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. None of the previous governments paid attention to such serious issues of public concern, due to which Punjab earlier figured among the top three states in road accident casualties,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister asserted, “Today, accident victims are receiving immediate first aid and proper treatment in hospitals. The Patiala-Sirhind road, which was once known as a killer road with an average of three deaths every day, has now been transformed into a safer road.”
CM Mann added, “The government is constructing 43,000 km of high-quality roads across Punjab to connect villages with main highways.”
–IANS
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