Over 2,400 persons were killed and 21,335 others injured in as many as 25,551 road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir in the past two-and-a-half years, prompting the authorities to chalk out a strategy to deal with the problem.
While 506 persons lost their lives in 3,221 road accidents up to July this year, as many as 992 persons were killed in 5,861 cases last year and 990 others in 6,469 accidents in 2013, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was informed today.
In a written reply, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed – who also holds Home portfolio – said 4,611 persons were injured in road accidents up to July this year.
While 8,043 persons were injured in road accidents last year, another 8,681 were injured in such incidents in 2013.
More persons had died in road accidents in Jammu region than in the Kashmir Valley. While 347 persons died in Jammu region this year, the number of dead was 686 last year and 637 a year before.
Jammu city accounted for most of the deaths with 213 reported in 2013, followed by 165 in 2014 and 77 up to July this year.
As many as 33 persons died in the summer capital Srinagar up to July this year, while 58 persons lost their lives in the district in 2014 and another 59 in 2013.
The highway districts of Samba, Kathua, Udhampur and Ramban in Jammu recorded more than 50 deaths every year.
In Ladakh region, which is part of Kashmir division, 44 persons died in road accidents in 2013, 49 in 2014 and 18 till July this year.
A series of measures have been taken to minimise the occurrence of road accidents, ensure free flow of traffic particularly in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar and enforcement of traffic rules, the Chief Minister said.
He said licences of erring drivers, especially of Public Service Vehicles, are being recommended for cancellation to the concerned Regional Transport Officers or Assistant RTOs in order to curb the tendency of rash and negligent driving, overloading, over-speeding by habitual offenders.
The Chief Minister said an amount of Rs 95.05 lakh has been paid as ex-gratia to the victims of road accidents at the rate of Rs 25,000 to the next of kin of deceased, Rs 10,000 to seriously injured andRs 5,000 to those who have received minor injuries.
