Yogi govt mulls creation of two new posts to curb road mishaps
According to the proposal, all 75 districts in the state will have one ARTO each while each of the 351 tehsils will be staffed with an AMVI
In a move to curb road accidents in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government is considering creating two new posts of assistant regional transport officers (ARTOs) at the district level and assistant motor vehicle inspectors (AMVIs) at the tehsil level, officials in the know of things said.
These officers will have the mandate to take measures exclusively meant to promote road safety in the state that has the dubious distinction of being on the top in deaths related to traffic crashes in the country.
“The state government is actively considering the transport department’s proposal for creation of new posts of ARTOs (road safety) and AMVIs,” said a senior transport department official,
Currently, there is only ARTO, enforcement and ARTO administration but no ARTO, road safety. Also, the transport department has no official posted at the tehsil level where now AMVIs are proposed to be deployed
According to the proposal, all 75 districts in the state will have one ARTO (road safety) each while each of the 351 tehsils will be staffed with an AMVI, all with the clear responsibility of focusing only on issues related to road safety.
“If approved, the initiative will significantly improve road safety standards and reduce the number of road accidents and deaths across the state,” the official said. He said some states already have the provisions for appointment of ARTOs (road safety) and AMVIs.
The ARTOs (road safety), he said, would also be an important part of the district road safety committees under the district magistrates.
Appointment to the new posts, once created, will be made through the UP Public Service Commission (UPPSC).
“The recruitment of new officials will help the government generate revenue three times the expenditure on their salaries,” he said, adding that the creation of the news post will not have any financial burden on the state exchequer.
As many as 23,652 people died and 31,098 were injured in 44,534 reported cases of road accidents in Uttar Pradesh in 2023. Based on this, the government has fixed the overall target for reduction in the number of fatalities at 11,826 in 2024 over 2023 while setting similar targets for districts individually.
However, with ARTOs remaining engaged in several other routine duties and functions and there being no transport official posted at tehsil level, the issue of road safety often fails to get the attention it deserves. The proposed move is being seen as a serious attempt to save lives lost in unchecked road mishaps every year in the state.