Chandigarh, Jan 2: The Punjab Government on Tuesday launched National Road Safety Month-2026 (NRSM-26) with the objective of reducing road accidents and spreading awareness about traffic safety across the state.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony at Kisan Bhawan, Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar said road accidents are not merely statistics but tragedies that shatter families and lead to the loss of precious human lives. He stressed that road safety is a shared responsibility and meaningful reduction in accidents is only possible through coordinated efforts by the government, administration and the public.
Bhullar said that during NRSM-26, the government will roll out comprehensive and multi-pronged awareness campaigns across Punjab. These will include road safety seminars, poster and slogan competitions, quiz programmes and interactive sessions in schools and colleges to sensitise students about traffic rules from an early age.
He further announced special training and refresher programmes for commercial, private and heavy vehicle drivers, along with intensified enforcement campaigns to ensure strict compliance with traffic rules. Action will be taken against violations such as non-use of helmets and seat belts, mobile phone use while driving, over-speeding and wrong-side driving.
Highlighting drunk driving as a major cause of road accidents, the minister said special checkpoints and inspection drives will be conducted across the state during the road safety month. He also said that engineering improvements, signage and speed indicators will be installed at identified accident-prone black spots based on past data.
The minister urged all departments, district administrations, educational institutions, NGOs, industrial units and the general public to actively participate in the campaign. He directed officials to ensure timely, effective and ground-level implementation of all planned activities and strengthen inter-departmental coordination.
During the event, Director General, Road Safety, Punjab, R. Venkat Ratnam informed that each District Road Safety Committee (DRSC) has been provided ₹9.50 lakh per district under the CFDL scheme. Of this, ₹1 lakh has been earmarked for the purchase of alcohol meters to strengthen enforcement against drunk driving, particularly for commercial and special category drivers.
He added that in view of the heightened risk of accidents during foggy weather, road-owning departments have been permitted to immediately utilise the funds for installing or repairing street lights, road markings and other traffic safety measures. Ratnam said a detailed list of activities for NRSM-26 was finalised in meetings held on December 9 and December 30, 2025, and circulated to all concerned departments, Deputy Commissioners, Commissioners of Police and Senior Superintendents of Police for implementation.
Meanwhile, Director General of Police (Traffic) Amardeep Singh Rai emphasised strict enforcement and zero tolerance for traffic violations. He highlighted the positive impact of the Road Safety Force (SSF), which currently patrols around 4,000 kilometres of national and state highways daily.
Rai said that since the launch of the SSF, deaths on these highways have reduced by nearly 50 percent, a development expected to significantly bring down the overall road accident fatality rate in Punjab. He added that special enforcement drives during NRSM-26 will focus on drunk driving, speeding, lane discipline and other serious violations.
