Kumar Bahukhandi
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai chairs a high-level review of the Transport Department at Mahanadi Bhawan in Raipur on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, directing officials to adopt a mission-mode approach to reducing road accidents and fatalities. Photo: channel24india.com via CG/DPR
Transport, police, health, PWD and urban bodies asked to jointly prepare an action plan for ‘zero fatality’; rural bus services to be expanded to unserved areas
Key Highlights
- CM Vishnu Deo Sai puts road safety at the centre of the Transport Department’s review.
- Departments directed to work jointly towards a ‘zero fatality’ objective.
- Corrective work under way at 23 identified black spots across the state.
- Rural bus scheme currently covers 106 routes in 13 districts with 107 buses.
- Konta–Jagargunda connectivity cited as an example, with a journey earlier taking around six hours now taking about 45 minutes.
- Greater focus on HSRP, automated vehicle fitness testing, e-track driving tests and recovery of pending challans.
- Transport connectivity to tourist destinations to be strengthened to support tourism, employment and local economic activity.
Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 directed departments concerned with road safety to work in mission mode to minimise road accidents and fatalities, calling for an integrated system that focuses both on preventing crashes and ensuring immediate treatment when accidents occur.
Chairing a high-level review of the Transport Department at Mahanadi Bhawan, the Chief Minister asked the transport, police, health, public works and urban administration departments to prepare a detailed, result-oriented action plan towards a ‘zero fatality’ objective. The directions and figures from the meeting were also reported independently on Tuesday.
“Our objective should not merely be to reduce the number of accidents, but to prevent every possible loss of life in road accidents. The system has to be strengthened at both levels — prevention before an accident and prompt assistance and treatment after it,” Sai said.
Road Safety Requires Coordinated Action
Sai stressed that road safety could not be treated as the responsibility of a single department. Identification of accident-prone stretches, safer road infrastructure, enforcement of traffic rules, technical fitness of vehicles, trained drivers and rapid medical assistance after accidents must function as parts of the same system.
“Road safety is not the responsibility of one department. It requires coordinated efforts by different departments,” the Chief Minister said.
He directed officials to accelerate corrective and safety measures at accident-prone locations. The meeting was informed that corrective work at 23 black spots in the state is currently under way.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Transport Minister Kedar Kashyap, Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel and senior officials during the Transport Department review meeting at Mahanadi Bhawan in Raipur on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Photo: channel24india.com via CG/DPR
Emphasising the importance of the first few moments following an accident, Sai called for better coordination among accident reporting systems, ambulance services, nearby hospitals and emergency treatment facilities.
The Chief Minister also directed officials to widely publicise the PM-Rahat and Rahveer schemes so that citizens are encouraged to assist accident victims. According to information presented at the meeting, eligible road accident victims can receive cashless treatment of up to ₹1.50 lakh for a maximum of seven days from the date of the accident under the PM-Rahat scheme.
Rural Bus Network to Expand
Reviewing the Mukhyamantri Gramin Bus Yojana, Sai directed officials to identify rural, forested and remote areas that still lack regular public transport and examine possibilities for opening new routes.
“Public transport is not merely a means of travel; it is an important means of access to essential facilities such as education, healthcare, employment and markets,” Sai said.
The meeting was informed that 107 buses are presently operating on 106 routes across 13 districts under the scheme.
Officials highlighted the Konta–Jagargunda bus service as an example of improved connectivity in a difficult and remote region. According to the information presented at the review, a journey from interior areas that earlier took around six hours can now be completed in about 45 minutes following the introduction of the service.
Sai also asked the Transport Department to coordinate with the state’s tourism mission to improve public transport links to major tourist destinations, saying better connectivity could also support hotels, transport services, handicrafts, food businesses and local employment.
The Chief Minister further reviewed High Security Registration Plates, automated vehicle testing stations, vehicle fitness systems and the proposed e-track system for computerised driving tests using CCTV cameras and sensors. He directed officials to make greater use of technology while ensuring that vehicle owners are not unnecessarily inconvenienced.
Transport Minister Kedar Kashyap, Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Subodh Kumar Singh, Secretary to the Chief Minister Rahul Bhagat, Transport Secretary S. Prakash, Transport Commissioner D. Ravishankar, Joint Secretary to the Chief Minister Prabhat Malik and senior officials attended the meeting.
