Agartala, Oct 10: Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Saturday emphasized the need for a technology-driven traffic management system and greater digital surveillance to enhance road safety.
The Chief Minister called for intensified police patrolling at accident-prone locations and wider deployment of digital surveillance to monitor traffic violations. He also underscored the need for regular coordination among the Police, Transport, Health and Public Works departments to improve road safety and reduce fatalities.
He was speaking at the road safety equipment distribution programme organised jointly by the Police and Transport departments at AD Nagar Police Ground
Dr. Saha said that the government alone was not enough to prevent accidents, emphasizing that stronger enforcement, public awareness and collective responsibility were equally important.
He claimed that the state had recorded a 9 per cent decline in road accidents and a 15 per cent fall in fatal accidents in 2025 compared to the previous year.
Dr. Saha pointed out that rapid urbanisation, population growth and the rising number of private vehicles had created mounting pressure on roads in Tripura, where road infrastructure had not expanded at the same pace. These challenges, he said, required a coordinated approach involving all concerned departments.
The state government remains committed to strengthening road safety measures, the Chief Minister said, highlighting the devastating consequences of road accidents, which often leave families grappling with emotional trauma, financial hardship and permanent disabilities.
As part of the initiative, road safety equipment worth Rs 1.29 crore was distributed through the Road Safety Fund. The equipment included breath analysers, trolley barricades, helmets, raincoats, reflective jackets and road divider poles, aimed at improving traffic regulation and enforcement across the state.
Emphasizing the importance of responsible driving, Dr. Saha urged two-wheeler riders to wear helmets and cautioned motorists against speeding and reckless behaviour. He appealed to parents to educate their children about traffic rules, saying that momentary excitement on the road should never endanger human lives.
The Chief Minister also directed the Police Department to take stricter action against vehicles parked indiscriminately along roads at night. Referring to the multi-storey parking facility developed at the Old Motor Stand, he said the possibility of setting up similar facilities at Battala and Netaji Chowmuhani was being explored.
He further called upon the Agartala Municipal Corporation and other concerned agencies to ensure that adequate parking arrangements were incorporated into residential apartment complexes and shopping malls to ease congestion in the city.
Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, speaking at the programme, said the department was working closely with the Police to strengthen road safety and enforcement. He informed that 16 ambulances had been provided to the police force, while modern interceptor vehicles had been supplied to every district to improve traffic monitoring and emergency response.
Highlighting initiatives to encourage public assistance to accident victims, Chowdhury said people who help injured persons are protected from unnecessary legal harassment in accordance with Supreme Court directions. Under the state's Rah-Veer scheme, individuals assisting road accident victims are also eligible for financial rewards. So far, 11 people have received Rs 26,000 each under the scheme, he said.
The minister further said that the Centre's PM RAHAT scheme provides eligible road accident victims with cashless treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh at empanelled hospitals. A total of Rs 6.5 lakh had been provided under the scheme in Tripura so far, he added.
In hit-and-run cases, the family of a deceased victim is entitled to compensation of Rs 2 lakh, while Rs 50,000 is available for medical treatment in applicable cases, Chowdhury said, adding that both the Central and state governments were working towards the goal of reducing road accidents to zero.
As a symbolic gesture, the Chief Minister handed over a breath analyser to SP Traffic Kanta Jangir at the programme.
In-charge Director General of Police G. S. Rao delivered the welcome address. Secretary of the Urban Development Department Milind Ramteke, Transport Department Secretary Uttam Kumar Chakma and senior officials from the Police and Transport departments were also present.