Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said it was the government's responsibility to ensure safe road journeys to the passengers, to which each person has a right.
The CM made the statement after flagging off 93 new Rajdhani bus services and seven regular buses.
"The statistics of deaths resulting from road accidents are extremely alarming. If we were to present the figures of road accidents for Uttar Pradesh within a year, a horrific scenario would unfold," he said, adding, in a year, more lives are lost in road accidents than COVID-19 claimed in three years.
He said every life is precious not just for a family, but also for a society, and a country.
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Having said this, the CM called for a campaign to increase awareness and prevent traffic accidents and the deaths caused by them.
Congratulating the Uttar Pradesh Transport Corporation on completing 50 years of journey, the CM said that on May 15, 1947, a state-owned transportation service was started in UP with the aim of providing smooth and safe travel to people.
This state-owned transportation service eventually evolved into the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation on June 1, 1972, becoming the largest public transport service in the state with the largest population in the country, he said.
"On this occasion, arrangements should be made to enhance the existing programmes of the Transport Corporation in a more effective manner," he said.
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Adityanath said that if required, the government may even consider associating with private operators to provide transportation and bus services to every village and that it was not necessary the transport must stay within the remit of the state.
Discussing the increasing demand for electric buses, the CM said, "wherever electric bus services have been initiated, there is a fresh surge in demand from the people.
"We recently started electric bus service in 10 cities of Uttar Pradesh. Wherever we go, people are requesting us to start electric bus services in their areas as well," he said.
-With PTI Input
