Agartala, Jan 17 (AHN) In a bid to curb road accidents and fatalities, the Tripura government has begun implementing a series of strict road safety measures, including the 'No Helmet, No Petrol' and 'No Helmet, No Attendance' policies, officials said on Saturday.

A senior Transport Department official said the state government has already initiated various measures under the Motor Vehicles Act to reduce road mishaps and fatalities.

“North Tripura and South Tripura districts have already started implementing the ‘No Helmet, No Petrol’ policy. The remaining six districts will soon follow,” the official told AHN.

In South Tripura, District Magistrate Muhammad Sajad P. issued a notification directing all heads of offices and departments to strictly enforce the ‘No Helmet, No Attendance’ policy from Saturday.

The circular stated that in line with decisions taken at a recent high-level state review meeting, all government offices in the district must ensure strict compliance with the policy from January 17.

“Under this mandate, any employee arriving on a two-wheeler, either as a rider or a pillion passenger, without wearing a protective helmet will be denied attendance registration for the day. All departments must prominently display signage related to this directive. Violations will invite penalties under relevant provisions of the law,” the notification said.

The District Magistrate also said that adequate police personnel would be deployed at petrol pumps to strictly enforce the ‘No Helmet, No Petrol’ policy.

As part of efforts to reduce road accidents and achieve zero fatalities, the various district administrations and the state police authorities have also launched a comprehensive road safety awareness campaign titled ‘Safe Helmet, Safe Journey’ and ‘Safe Journey, Safe Life’.

Special awareness programmes focusing on traffic rules and road safety are being conducted across various locations in the district.

In line with guidelines issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, all district administrations in Tripura have adopted the ‘Zero Fatality Month’ plan to bring down road accident-related deaths to zero.

Joint efforts involving traffic police, transport department officials, civil defence volunteers, NGOs and members of the public are underway.

Awareness drives, rallies, discussions, outreach programmes and campaigns using social media are being organised to promote traffic discipline and safe driving practices.

Special emphasis is being laid on the compulsory use of helmets, adherence to traffic rules and responsible driving behaviour, with campaigns being held at key road junctions and public places.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manik Saha, while chairing a review meeting on road safety last week, directed all concerned departments to adopt the ‘Gujarat model of road safety’ to create an accident-free road network in the state.

According to the Transport Department official, the Gujarat model is based on the integrated use of advanced technology, strict law enforcement and swift post-accident rescue with immediate medical care.

The Chief Minister asked officials to incorporate these elements into Tripura’s road safety framework.

Although Tripura’s road accident figures are better than the national average, the Chief Minister stressed that zero fatalities must remain the ultimate goal and cautioned officials against complacency.

To enhance pedestrian safety in Agartala, CM Saha directed authorities to expedite the construction of footpaths on both sides of major roads.

He also called for wider deployment of CCTV cameras, GPS-based vehicle tracking systems and speed guns at accident-prone locations to effectively monitor traffic and curb violations.

Director General of Police Anurag said total road accident cases declined by 8.82 per cent, from 578 in 2024 to 527 in 2025, while fatal cases fell by 14.55 per cent, from 213 to 182 during the same period.

He added that deaths due to road accidents dropped by 12.8 per cent from 226 in 2024 to 197 in 2025.

Non-fatal cases decreased by 5.47 per cent, from 365 to 345, while the number of injured persons fell by 2.57 per cent, from 622 to 606.