Mumbai: Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Sunday urged the Maharashtra motor transport department to set its sights higher, calling for a shift towards "seamless travel” as the guiding goal of the state’s road transport ecosystem. Speaking at the department’s 86th Foundation Day function in Mumbai, Sarnaik said the government would intensify road safety awareness campaigns, strengthen law enforcement and encourage broader public participation to build a culture of compliance on roads. He said safer travel cannot be achieved through policing alone and urged citizens to treat traffic rules as a shared responsibility.The ceremony highlighted the department’s growing role beyond regulation, with an increasing focus on traffic safety, citizen services and technology-enabled governance. Sarnaik highlighted recent improvements in transparency and efficiency enabled by digital systems, including online licensing processes, expansion of e-services, road safety initiatives and action against illegal transport operations. He said technology was helping to 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 in difficult conditions, including extreme weather, and said discipline and dedication remained the organisation’s main strength. He also reiterated the government’s focus on building safe, green and smart transportation systems, with emphasis on environment-friendly vehicles and transparent administration.Terming the transport department as the backbone of Maharashtra’s economy and social life, Sarnaik said its work shaped everyday mobility needs in rural and urban areas. He cited examples ranging from farmers moving their products and students traveling to universities, to workers traveling to industrial centers and small businesses that depend on reliable logistics. Ensuring safe and disciplined transportation services across diverse geographies – from remote tribal villages to metropolitan corridors – remained both a challenge and a tradition the department could be proud of, he said.