Himachal's Road Safety Push: Tech Overhaul, Crash Barriers & Digital Permits

Chairing a meeting of the Transport Development and Road Safety Committee, Agnihotri said the Transport Department is functioning as a revenue-generating organisation and will continue to do so. He said since the formation of the present government, the department has generated Rs 2,600 crore in revenue, compared to Rs 1,500 crore during the previous regime, registering an additional Rs 1,100 crore. He added that by 2027, revenue generation is projected to rise by another Rs 1,500 crore.

Highlighting digital reforms, the Deputy Chief Minister said that, in line with the IT age, the department is shifting from manual systems to automated approval mechanisms. "Within the next four to five months, most authorisations, including driving licences, vehicle fitness certificates, permits and other services, will be issued online with auto-generation, eliminating the need for citizens and vehicle owners to visit transport offices," he said. The role of Motor Vehicle Inspectors will be streamlined at the RTO level, while support from the Union government and NIC is being integrated. A mobile fitness application will also be introduced, he added.

On infrastructure upgrades, Agnihotri said Automated Testing Stations (ATS) are being set up in the private sector at Bilaspur, Ranital, Nalagarh and Paonta Sahib, while government ATS centres are coming up at Haroli and Nadaun. A fitness centre is also being developed at Baddi, with an expenditure of Rs 16.5 crore. He said proposals are being prepared to reduce land requirements under the Driving Training Centre (DTC) cluster and ATS scheme, for which the Union government provides subsidies.

The Transport Minister said vehicle scrapping centres have been established at Solan and Hamirpur, where 1,692 vehicles have already been scrapped. Under the Rajiv Gandhi E-Taxi Scheme, the state has announced a 50 per cent subsidy, disbursing Rs 7.96 crore so far. He said old taxis will be replaced under the scrappage policy with a 40 per cent subsidy for the first 1,000 vehicles, while 300 buses will also be replaced with a 30 per cent subsidy supported by the state government. "Applications have been invited till February 8, 2026, and February 4, 2026, respectively, with the scheme open to all operators irrespective of fleet size," he said.

Providing key statistics, Agnihotri said the state has 24,48,291 registered vehicles, translating to one vehicle for every nine persons. He said 26 per cent e-challaning coverage has been achieved, with efforts underway to make the system fully foolproof. The department has also been strengthened with 14 interceptor vehicles, body cameras, alcohol analysers, and mobile devices for enforcement staff.

Expressing concern over road safety, Agnihotri said around 800 people lose their lives annually in road accidents in Himachal Pradesh, mainly due to over-speeding, overloading and drunk driving. Nearly 600 accident black spots have been identified and addressed, though several remain to be addressed. "With crash barriers present on only 4 per cent of road stretches, the department is undertaking a detailed exercise to address accident-prone locations," he said.

On emergency response, Agnihotri said EV charging stations are being developed along six green corridors, with 129 locations identified and 434 more under survey. "Good Samaritans who help accident victims are being rewarded with Rs 25,000, while accident patients are entitled to treatment support of up to Rs 1.5 lakh for 7 days, borne by the state government. In hit-and-run cases, compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured is being provided," he highlighted.

He said that the data shows a 10 per cent reduction in road accidents and a 9 per cent decline in fatalities. "Intelligent Transport Management Systems are being implemented at 12 vehicle check barriers, while 40,000 people have benefited from permits issued to contract carriers," Agnihotri said, adding that NITI Aayog has listed Himachal Pradesh among the leading states in the IEMI category.

The Deputy Chief Minister also announced that the government has cleared a Rs seven crore ropeway (zipline) project, which will be the largest of its kind in the state, further boosting eco-friendly transport and tourism.

- ANI