Stringent laws imperative to check road accidents: Ramzan

Minister for consumer affairs and public distribution Chaudhary Mohammad Ramzan said on Tuesday, that the government was seriously considering bringing in more stringent laws to check the growing rate of traffic accidents in the State, which not only consumed human lives but also afflicted damage to public property.

Minister for consumer affairs and public distribution Chaudhary Mohammad Ramzan said on Tuesday, that the government was seriously considering bringing in more stringent laws to check the growing rate of traffic accidents in the State, which not only consumed human lives but also afflicted damage to public property.

HT Image

The minister was speaking at an officers meeting convened to review the existing traffic laws and deliberate on the possibilities to make them more stringent.

Transport and Law secretaries, inspector general (traffic), transport commissioner and senior officers of other departments concerned also attended the meeting.

Ramzan said every year, road accidents were consuming precious lives in the state, and stressed the need for enactment of stricter laws to check violations on the road.

"Whatever the reason of an accident, a family loses its member, and these need to be checked by bringing in more stringent laws", he said, adding, "Enactment of laws has become an imperative to make the public transport operators and drivers accountable for human lives."

Ramzan asked the department concerned to sit together and come up with recommendations as early as possible so that these can be incorporated in the new laws.

Earlier, a thorough discussion was held wherein the participants put forth their opinions and suggestions for making laws more relevant with the present scenario.

It was suggested that release process of seized vehicles must be made more cumbersome, while repeating offences should amount to cancellation or suspension of license.

Only imposing fine on erring drivers will not solve this problem, but need is to impose heavy penalty, it was suggested.