Lucknow Launches Vehicle Checking Drives To Ensure Safer Travel During Fog Season
Lucknow has launched intensive vehicle checking drives across major expressways to enhance road safety during the fog season. Authorities are inspecting passenger buses and large commercial vehicles for fitness, registration, and functional lighting, including headlights, taillights, blinkers, and reflectors. The initiative, covering over 60 checkpoints on the Lucknow-Agra, Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, and Gorakhpur Link expressways, involves coordinated efforts by transport officials and police to reduce accidents and ensure safer commuting in low-visibility conditions.
The step follows a rise in fatal road accidents during the early winter months, prompting the state’s additional chief secretary and UPEIDA CEO to seek urgent intervention from the director general of police and the transport commissioner. Officials emphasised that operational vehicle lighting and reflective signage are critical to preventing collisions on high-speed routes where visibility can drop to just a few metres.At each checkpoint, authorities are verifying vehicle registration, fitness certificates, and the functionality of all safety equipment. Police and traffic personnel have been deployed alongside transport officials to enforce compliance effectively. According to an urban mobility consultant, “Regular checks create accountability for operators and encourage adherence to safety standards, reducing risks for thousands of daily commuters.”
Experts note that expressways linking major cities and industrial hubs are particularly vulnerable during fog, where even minor oversights in vehicle maintenance can lead to serious accidents. This initiative reflects a broader urban safety concern: integrating regulatory enforcement with sustainable city development. Ensuring safe commuting corridors supports not only accident prevention but also efficient transport flows, reduced emergency response pressure, and equitable access for all commuters.Beyond enforcement, authorities plan public awareness drives to inform drivers about safe practices during low-visibility conditions. Campaigns will emphasise maintaining speed limits, using fog lights appropriately, and ensuring vehicle reflectors are visible. Experts say that combining infrastructure checks, regulatory oversight, and behavioural guidance is essential for long-term accident reduction.
The initiative also demonstrates the importance of proactive planning in building resilient urban transport systems. With India’s cities expanding expressway networks to accommodate growing commuter and freight traffic, such seasonal interventions are critical for sustaining safe, inclusive, and low-risk mobility. By systematically targeting vehicle compliance and driver awareness, Lucknow is taking steps towards creating safer, more reliable corridors that balance urban growth with citizen safety.
