Innocent lives lost

HORRIFIC accidents in Himachal and Maharashtra on two consecutive days have once again brought to us the shocking reality of how close to death we live at all times, and more so when we are on the road. But the death of children on the way to school in a bus in Nurpur district was particularly unbearable given the age of the victims. What is especially disturbing is the repeated accidents involving school buses in the region, including Punjab. Himachal, of course, has the additional burden of being a hill state, and therefore more prone to road accidents. Unfortunately, each time it seems nothing has changed since the previous accident. That is where all stakeholders have to take the blame.

The wider safety situation on roads across the country can only be a process involving our entire economy and governance. But what the Nurpur tragedy points to is the specific matter of school-bus safety, which can be largely addressed with a slight effort on the part of schools and governments. The rulebook for such buses has extensive dos and don’ts. Most of these, however, are ignored, and state authorities let schools get away with it. Parents, too, need to step in and demand the rules be followed. One additional aspect that may be considered is school-bus driver licence requirements. The lower and upper age limits, as well as testing requirements, for these drivers should be stringent. When anything goes wrong, whether with the road or vehicle, it is the driver who is the last hope of saving the situation.

Both Himachal and Punjab have made some effort towards identifying hazardous spots on roads in the states, and taken measures to address some of the engineering issues. That has had a salutary effect too. The exercise, however, has to be ever continuing as the traffic load on the roads continues to grow. The road safety councils need to be strengthened and taken with greater seriousness by the state governments. As this is a very technical subject, it should not be left just to the police and bureaucrats.