Buxar district magistrate Sahila has ordered a coordinated response to traffic congestion, overloaded vehicles, encroachments and accident risks on national highways and major roads, including a week-long enforcement drive and faster emergency assistance for crash victims.
The directions were issued during a review of traffic and road safety measures in the district. To address recurring traffic jams in Buxar town and on highways, the sub-divisional magistrate and sub-divisional police officer have been asked to hold an interdistrict coordination meeting with their counterparts in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh.
According to the Times of India report, officials will examine long vehicle queues in Buxar that are allegedly linked to inspections and checks carried out by the mining department in the Ballia region. The proposed coordination is intended to address a congestion problem that extends across the district boundary rather than being confined to Buxar’s local road network.
The National Highways Authority of India has been directed to permanently deploy recovery vans at major roundabouts. The administration said the vehicles should not remain stationed only at toll plazas, so that broken-down vehicles blocking traffic can be removed more quickly from busy junctions and road sections.
The district administration has also ordered an intensive, week-long drive against overloaded vehicles on national highways and Chausa Road. A joint team of the traffic police and transport and mining departments has been asked to carry out regular night patrols to check overloading and illegal activities.
The enforcement measures are being combined with corrective work at identified accident-prone locations. The NHAI, road construction department and rural works department have been instructed to take up the work immediately and submit compliance reports. The measures listed by the administration include rumble strips, warning signs, reflective road markings, road mirrors and zebra crossings.
Officials have also been asked to display emergency numbers prominently on national highways. These include 112 for emergency police assistance, 102 for medical transport and 1033, the NHAI helpline number. The directions are intended to make it easier for motorists and witnesses to report crashes, obstructions and urgent medical situations.
Encroachments along national highways are another focus of the order. The sub-divisional magistrate and sub-divisional police officer have been instructed to remove encroachments, particularly at locations where notices have already been served. The clearance is to be carried out with adequate police deployment.
The administration has linked traffic management with the emergency response available after a crash. Emphasising the importance of the first hour after an accident, the district magistrate directed police stations along the highways to keep patrol vehicles on constant alert. These vehicles are expected to help move accident victims to the nearest hospital without delay.
The health department has additionally been asked to arrange cashless treatment for road accident victims for up to seven days, with coverage of up to Rs1.5 lakh, under the Pradhan Mantri Rahat Yojana. The order places responsibility on several departments and executing agencies, with the district administration stressing that coordination will be essential for implementing the measures and improving road safety across Buxar.
The immediate milestones are the interdistrict meeting with officials from Ballia, the week-long overloading enforcement drive, corrective work at identified accident spots and the submission of compliance reports by the concerned road agencies.
