Jalandhar, December 8

After the commencement of Mission Safe Ludhiana, Mission Safe Amritsar and Mission Safe Malwa, Dr Kamaljeet Soi, member, National Road Safety Council, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, GOI, rolled out Mission Jalandhar in the city yesterday.

Mission Safe Jalandhar aims to focus on check against hit and run road accidents, traffic crimes and its sanitisation. Chairman of the NGO Raahat — The Safe Community Foundation and president, Global Society of Safety Professionals, Dr Soi has been taking up the issues of road safety from past about 20 years and has been recognised at for the work done in this field.

Dr Soi particularly emphasised upon the strict implementation of High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) to curb the increasing road crimes, drug trafficking and other criminal activities in Jalandhar belt as fake number plates are used on vehicles involved in such crimes.

Speaking on the increase of crime rates in the region, Dr Soi said as per the data available the crime rate in this belt has increased many folds in last couple of years and the rampant incidence of fake number plates being used on the vehicles to evade being caught and jailed is one of the key reasons behind the same and by addressing this issue alone there can be a substantial drop in the crime rate in the city and its surrounding. Although some of these vehicles have been impounded by the police, a large number of vehicles are still plying on the roads without HSRPs. An immediate action is required to stop this menace or these vehicles will remain a threat to the security of the city.

Dr Kamaljeet Soi said even today almost 20 lakh vehicles are still plying in Punjab sans HSRP and they are adding new and alarming dimensions to the drug trafficking and other criminal activities in the state. — TNS