Assam's Transport Minister Reviews Infrastructure and Road Safety in Jorhat
Inspection of Transport Infrastructure
Nimatighat, located along the Brahmaputra River in Jorhat (Photo: Charan Boro/Meta)
Jorhat, Sept 14: The transport infrastructure and road safety protocols in Jorhat were evaluated on Monday as Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma continued his three-day visit to the area. Transport Minister Charan Boro made an unannounced visit to assess significant projects and enforcement strategies.
Boro examined the ongoing construction of the Modular Terminal at Nimatighat, along with other initiatives under the Assam Inland Water Transport Project, which is financed by the World Bank and executed by the Assam Inland Water Transport Development Society under the Transport Department.
According to Boro, the Nimatighat terminal, initially set for completion in December, is now anticipated to finish a month early in November.
“The progress is satisfactory, and the workers have indicated that the project will be finalized by November, ahead of the December deadline,” he stated.
Transport Minister Charan Boro in Jorhat on Monday (Photo: Charan Boro/Meta)
The Transport Minister also assessed the processes for driving license testing and the enforcement of road safety measures, including the use of speed-limiting and vehicle-tracking devices in commercial vehicles.
He was scheduled to oversee driving license examinations at the Jorhat District Transport Office (DTO), where applicants were invited at 10 am. However, he was unable to attend due to a District Commissioners’ conference that commenced at 9 am.
“The purpose of overseeing the driving tests is to eliminate illegal license issuance,” Boro remarked.
He also pointed out the inadequate implementation of Speed Limiting Devices (SLD) in commercial vehicles, stating that the government would reinitiate strict enforcement measures.
“We will recommence strict implementation measures,” he affirmed. Boro mentioned that the government is also focusing on the rigorous regulation and application of Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTD) in commercial vehicles.
“VLTDs will enable enforcement agencies to track stolen vehicles and provide assistance during emergencies. These devices will also feature panic buttons that, when activated, will send the vehicle's location to authorities, facilitating the dispatch of rescue teams,” he explained.
“We are making strides to implement SLD and VLTD for commercial vehicles promptly,” Boro added.
Regarding road safety enforcement in Jorhat, Boro noted that the district had surpassed its target for registering road offense cases.
“I have set targets for enforcement officials to ensure strict adherence to rules and penalties. Against a target of 3,000 cases, the Jorhat DTO has recorded approximately 4,000 cases,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the second day of the Assam District Commissioners Conference was taking place in Jorhat, with the government concentrating on enhancing its district-led development model.
“Today, we will solidify our plans to establish a new direction in our District-led Development model,” Chief Minister Sarma mentioned in a social media update, promising to share further insights from the conference.