JALANDHAR
Taking a major step toward strengthening road safety, the Jalandhar Administration has identified 56blackspots across the district and initiated immediate corrective measures to prevent road mishaps. Chairing a meeting of the District Road Safety Committee, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal directed all concerned departments to fix these accident-prone zones within a week and install warning display boards to alert commuters until permanent solutions are implemented. The DC said that the identified blackspots include 24 in Jalandhar-I, 11 in Jalandhar-II, nine in Shahkot, eight in Nakodar, three in Phillaur, and one in Adampur sub-division. These spots were marked after a detailed, multi-departmental survey analysing accident data collected over several months. He emphasized that all stakeholders must take coordinated and timely action to ensure safer road conditions across the district. In a significant development, the Administration also approved the installation of new traffic lights at the busy Kishangarh Chowk on the National Highway, a major accident-prone junction. The project will be executed for Rs.. 12.86 lakh to ensure smooth traffic movement and minimize collisions caused by converging vehicles. Dr. Aggarwal also reviewed measures to decongest traffic at Bhogpur, Adampur, and Focal Point areas, directing police to crack down on unauthorized parking along highways, particularly during the ongoing festive season. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been instructed to install blinkers and reflectors where service lanes merge with main highways. Additionally, the DC ordered the Traffic Police to survey the functioning of all traffic lights and submit a report by October 27. He also advised the Education Department and Traffic Police to stagger school timings by 10–15 minutes to prevent congestion near institutions during peak hours. It was also informed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) that a comprehensive project worth Rs. 93 crores for the repair and relaying of the road stretch from Bidhipur Chowk to Phagwara has been submitted to the headquarters for final approval. Notably, the proposal also includes the construction of an additional lane on the PAP flyover, aimed at easing vehicular movement and addressing the issue of frequent traffic bottlenecks along this busy route. Once approved, the project is expected to significantly improve road safety and ensure smoother connectivity. The meeting was attended by ADCs Jasbir Singh and Amaninder Kaur, RTO Amanpal Singh, and members of the District Road Safety Committee, along with representatives of various departments.