Transport dept to launch spl app to prevent road accidents

Alipurduar: The state Transport department is set to introduce a special app aimed at reducing road accidents by directly monitoring drivers. This initiative was announced by Transport minister Snehashis Chakraborty during a review meeting held in Alipurduar on Friday. The meeting, which took place at the administrative complex ‘Dooars Kanya,’ was attended by officials from the Transport department and district administrations of Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong.

Highlighting the government’s commitment to enhancing road safety, Chakraborty stated that the app would enable the Transport department to oversee drivers of both government and private transport vehicles. “Since the launch of the ‘Safe Drive Save Life’ project by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2016, road accidents in the state have significantly declined. Currently, Bengal ranks 11th in the country in terms of road accidents. However, to further reduce this figure, the department is developing this app to monitor and control driver behaviour. The app’s development is nearing completion and will be implemented soon,” he said.

The minister also announced plans to strengthen the state’s transport infrastructure, revealing that the government has decided to purchase 265 CNG-powered buses. A portion of these buses will be allocated to the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) to enhance passenger services in the region. Additionally, he emphasised that the department would take strict measures to curb overloading across the state and would deploy more government buses on profitable routes to improve public transportation.

The minister also urged district administrations and transport officials to meet their revenue targets and ensure the efficient implementation of these initiatives. Partha Pratim Roy, Chairman of the NBSTC, also addressed the meeting, stating: “Out of the 265 new CNG-powered buses, a request will be made for 100 buses to be allocated to the NBSTC to meet the region’s transportation needs.”