4 days on, Punjab districts yet to get all Sadak Surakhya Force vehicles

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, February 5

Four days after the official launch of the highly anticipated ‘Sadak Surakhya Force’ (SSF), not all districts in the state have received the expected number of high-tech vehicles.

In the Jalandhar range, which includes Commissionerate area, Jalandhar Rural, Hoshiarpur, and Kapurthala, out of the designated 22 vehicles, only 15 have arrived. Six vehicles arrived between February 1 and 2, while the remaining were delivered this morning.

In a tour along the Jalandhar-Amritsar Highway (from Kartarpur to Paragpur) and Rama Mandi to Jandu Singha road by The Tribune team to look out for SSF vehicles, only one vehicle near Paragpur, Jalandhar was seen, and none along routes near Kartarpur and from Johal Gate to Rama Mandi, as designated by the SSF in their route-map.

Moreover, the road interceptors, equipped with modern gadgets like speed guns, alcometers, e-challan machines, and AI-enabled smart mechanisms, promised for every district, are yet to reach their destinations. Currently, the SSF personnel on hi-tech vehicles are primarily aiding accident victims and addressing parking violations on the National Highway to mitigate accidents.

Baljinder Singh, in-charge of SSF Jalandhar Range, said five vehicles for Hoshiarpur and one for Jalandhar arrived on February 1, with the remaining nine arriving today. “A strategic roadmap has been devised, with vehicles stationed every 30 km and at intervals of 15 to 20 km (in city area), each manned by four SSF personnel and details of nearby hospitals of their respective routes,” the in-charge said.

He said that in the past four days, SSF teams have provided immediate first aid to about five to six accident victims.

The SSP (Sadak Surakhya Force,) Gagan Ajit Singh, mentioned the successful rescue of 57 accident victims across Punjab by the SSF team in the last four days. He said that additional vehicles would soon reach their designated districts.

Regarding the road interceptors, the SSP explained that these vehicles are undergoing technical adjustments and the installation of supplementary accessories before deployment, and are expected to be deployed within a week.

Challenges on the ground

According to sources in the Police Department, a significant number of SSF personnel lack driving skills, leading to a shortage of drivers. Some SSF personnel revealed their lack of awareness regarding various gadgets. When questioned about the purpose of speakers in the vehicles, an SSF official said they had not received instructions on how to use the equipment yet.