Agartala, Sept 08: In a loud and clear message, Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Sunday said that any violation of traffic rules would invite strict action.

The Chief Minister, while addressing a Road Safety Event at Agartala’s Swami Vivekananda Maidan, delivered this warning in view of a substantial rise in road accidents and fatalities across the state. He also expressed concern over the rise in number of vehicles and emphasized proper traffic management.

According to the Chief Minister, Tripura has registered 1,340 deaths and injuries to 3,724 persons due to 3,307 road accidents over the past six years. He also said, presently, the number of registered vehicles in Tripura is 7,87,203, with 5,56,000 being two-wheelers. 

The Transport department has organized the event where 16 road safety vehicles were flagged-off, two booklets carrying road safety tips were unveiled and helmets were distributed among the journalists. A 30-day driving training programme for women, initiated by the Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR), Jirana was also inaugurated by the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister appealed to all to obey the traffic norms while driving on the road, for personal safety and safety of others. 
In his speech, Dr. Saha mentioned that a State Road Safety Council and a State Road Safety Committee have been formed to address the rising concerns.

Transport minister Sushanta Chowdhury, MLA Dipak Majumder, DGP Amitabh Ranjan and other dignitaries were present in the programme.