Mumbai: Transport minister Pratap Sarnaik on Sunday urged the Maharashtra motor transport department to set its sights higher, calling for a shift towards “mishap-free travel” as the guiding objective for the state’s road transport ecosystem. Speaking at the department’s 86th Foundation Day function in Mumbai, Sarnaik said the govt would intensify road safety awareness campaigns, strengthen enforcement, and encourage wider public participation to build a culture of compliance on roads. He said safer travel could not be achieved by policing alone and required citizens to treat traffic rules as a shared responsibility.The ceremony highlighted the department’s expanding role beyond regulation, with a growing focus on road safety, citizen services, and technology-led governance. Sarnaik pointed to recent improvements in transparency and efficiency enabled by digital systems, including online licensing processes, expanded e-services, road safety initiatives, and action against illegal transport operations. He said technology was helping reduce delays, improve accountability, and make services more accessible to citizens across the state.The minister credited the department’s workforce for maintaining essential services under difficult conditions, including extreme weather, and said discipline and dedication remained the organisation’s core strength. He also reiterated the govt’s focus on building safe, green, and smart transport systems, with emphasis on environment-friendly vehicles and transparent administration.Calling the transport department a backbone of Maharashtra’s economy and social life, Sarnaik said its work shaped everyday mobility needs across rural and urban areas. He cited examples ranging from farmers moving produce and students commuting to colleges, to workers travelling to industrial hubs and small businesses dependent on reliable logistics. Ensuring safe and disciplined transport services across diverse geographies—from remote tribal hamlets to metropolitan corridors—remained both a challenge and a tradition the department could take pride in, he said.
