PANJIM: In a bid to inculcate traffic discipline among citizens, starting with school students, the State Road Safety Council has decided to introduce a course on road safety from the coming academic year.
The committee decided to introduce the course on road safety in schools and Education Department is already working towards this. SCERT has also prepared a draft and had sought inputs from the traffic police and experts.
The council meeting, attended by officials from Transport Department, Goa Police, Health, PWD, District Magistrates and others, also decided to clampdown on traffic violations and strictly enforce various traffic safety rules.
Transport Director Nikhil Desai, who was also present for the meeting stated that the committee noted with concern the increasing road accidents and decided to work out an action plan to reduce the current rate of accidents by 50 percent by 2020.
The committee was briefed that Transport Department is in the process of floating a tender to procure road safety devices which will act as deterrents for various rash drivers.
PWD has been asked to submit a proposal to Transport Department to install road signages and to identify and paint zebra crossings especially in towns. Health Department has been asked to submit a proposal to Transport Department to set up trauma units in North and South Goa by availing financial assistance from Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, Desai said.
The road safety week, which will be organised in January-end and early February, will also be observed to make various stakeholders aware of road safety norms and practices. The committee also decided to instruct rental bike agencies to provide ISI mark helmets to riders or face action.
Also discussed at the meeting was that driving schools do not follow the norms and it was decided to crackdown on such erring schools.
