Bihar has fewer road accidents post prohibition

As per the estimated figures available to the department so far, road accidents and road deaths have declined by 17 to 20 per cent since prohibition was implemented in Bihar last year.

Patna, March 20: Bihar Transport Minister Chandrika Ray on Monday told he state Legislative Assembly that road accidents have declined in the state by 17 to 20 per cent after prohibition was implemented.

"As per the estimated figures available to the department so far, road accidents and road deaths have declined by 17 to 20 per cent since prohibition was implemented in Bihar last year," Ray said.

He was speaking during a debate on his department's budgetary allocation of Rs 60.05 crore for 2017-18 which was subsequently passed by the ruling benches amid walk out by BJP led NDA members in protest against the government's decision not to hold debate on important health department.

"Though the entire figure was not available with the department but I believe that prohibition has benefited a lot in checking accidents on roads," the minister said. The minister said this when Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary asked him to tell whether prohibition had its impact on reducing the road accidents in the state.

He also said, that due to state government's sustained efforts towards road safety, the number of road deaths have come down to 4867 in 2016 from 5421 in 2015.

With a view to check road accidents and provide job opportunities to youths by imparting skills, the state government is setting up a modern "Driving Training cum Research Institute" at Aurangabad, he said and added that the Institute, which is being set up on PPP mode, is spread across 23 acres of land and the estimated cost of the land will be around Rs 25.15 crore.

PTI