Open House: What should be done to reduce fatalities in accidents on Ludhiana roads ?

Poor road infra to blame

The unprecedented rate of population growth in urban areas, fuelled by a high rate of vehicular traffic on roads, is regarded as one of the major causes of the high number of mishaps in the city’s residential areas. It is quite natural that motorisation goes in tandem with urbanisation, yet the rising number of mishaps must also be attributed to the lack of adequate road infrastructure and poor city planning. It has also been observed that the residents are so obsessed with driving rashly that they lose sight of the fact that their reckless driving might endanger many lives, including theirs. The prevention of road accidents is not a difficult task. It only requires proper command of the driver and the upkeep of the vehicle and its machinery. The term ‘control’ refers to both prevention and correction of hazardous conditions and actions. This necessitates the introduction of e-challan mechanism, like in Chandigarh, to deter traffic violations by the offenders.

Novin Christopher

Many systemic lapses on govt’s part

While it is true that a little bit of personal attention and vigilance can help to a great degree to prevent fatal road mishaps, it is also true that there are certain systemic lapses that have an equal share in contributing to such a large number of road accident deaths. Improved road design, the proper maintenance of stretches and ensuring readability of signage are some of the steps that can assist, significantly, in reducing the fatalities in road accidents. Many of the city’s roads have poorly positioned junctions, acute corners, uneven gradients and sudden speed-breakers, among other things. The situation is exacerbated by the improper maintenance of roads. The authorities should, therefore, prioritise road design and maintenance to reduce the fatalities. In addition to this, commuters should be careful for their own safety and obey all traffic rules and guidelines.

Tamanpreet Kaur Khangura

Behavioural change needed in residents

A well-defined method to reduce the fatalities in road mishaps does not exist. While paperwork and compilation of data does help the authorities in identifying and listing the trends observed in the incidents and that helps, to a limited extent, in taking protective measures, it should be known for a fact that this does not help beyond a point. In addition to these administrative decisions, what is needed is a behavioural change in the commuters who often take their own lives and those of others very lightly. What good can government initiatives do when there is the absence of even the recognition that driving is a responsible job and should be done after taking into consideration the impact one’s irresponsible behaviour can have on theirs and others’ lives?

JBS Nanda

Violators must be strictly punished

In order to reduce the number of fatalities in road mishaps, the administration should take the necessary steps immediately. Strict action should be taken against those who violate traffic rules. Everyone must be asked to follow road safety measures religiously. There is a need to create more awareness regarding traffic rules among residents, especially the teenagers. All roads should be well-maintained and without potholes. Regular inspections of roads should be conducted every year or after a fixed period of a few months to ensure that they are properly maintained. If it is found that teenagers are engaged in underage driving, their parents should be fined and booked for negligence.

Adish Sood

Install speedometers at accident ‘blackspots’

According to a latest report by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the city of Ludhiana, the industrial hub of the state, holds the top position in terms of fatality rates in road mishaps. It is possible to save precious lives by taking a few precautions. In addition to that, the government should also take steps to improve road infrastructure and strengthen its response mechanisms. The authorities concerned should install speedometers on the prime roads of the city, which have been identified as accident ‘blackspots’ in the survey. The traffic police should make all possible use of modern technology to check violations by commuters. There must be an alert in the form of a siren or hooter which gives a signal to the traffic police and the driver of the latter is overspeeding. At each traffic chowk, there must be an iron bar similar to the bars at toll plazas which should remain closed when there is a red light. The drivers should desist from attending phone calls or eating while driving. Any violators must be strictly punished by the police and authorities concerned.

Dr Mohd Saleem Farooqui

Awareness campaigns can prove effective

The NCRB finding that Ludhiana is ranked number one in the state in terms of fatality rate in road accidents is a worrying statistic. While the onus of improving road infrastructure and taking action against traffic violators lies with the government, the commuters can also take several measures towards road safety by following simple precautions. There should be strict punishment for underage driving because it is usually the teenage drivers, especially on two-wheelers, who are mostly involved in rash driving and endanger both their lives and that of others on the road. Similarly, the authorities should make it a point to act strictly against traffic violators. The authorities should construct separate lanes for scooter riders, cyclists and other slow-moving vehicles. The police should install special nakas at night to check overspeeding and other violations. Swift help should also be available 24X7 to treat victims, if a mishap does take place despite all precautionary measures. Similarly, it is also very significant to take strict action against drunk driving. The vehicles of such commuters must be impounded immediately. Along with these measures, it is also important to intensify the awareness drives, especially among children and teenagers, regarding road safety rules. The schools should organise at least one lecture in a week about traffic rules and the repercussions of their violations.

Farzana Khan

Act strictly against road encroachments

The NCRB has said in its report that the roads in residential areas of the city are more fatal, as the fatality rate of mishaps in these areas has been observed to be the most in 2021. Many factors contribute to problem of road mishaps, right from mismanagement of traffic and undue pressure on drivers to pick passengers and goods ‘earlier’ than their business rivals. Amid the high rates of fatalities, what lacks visibly is an empathy towards the hapless victims. It is only after someone loses their own family member in a mishap that they realise the seriousness of obeying traffic rules. There are many administrative failures as well, that contribute to the deteriorating situation. As the roads and streets are not so wide to accommodate the heavy vehicular movement on them, the municipal authorities should restrict heavy vehicles and buses from traversing on them. ‘One way’ traffic should be made compulsory in the areas where the local movement of vehicles is more. The drivers should be well-trained and the conditions for issuing driving licences should be made stricter to discourage irresponsible commuting. The government should make arrangements for alternative routes like bypasses to tackle the heavy traffic. All stakeholders, including commuters themselves, should shoulder the responsibility of creating safer roads and safe driving. Shopkeepers and vendors should desist from encroaching the roads and streets. Raising awareness on traffic rules is the need of the hour so that the general public is aware about the repercussions of unsafe driving. Teenagers need to be especially taught the dangers.

Sukhdev Sharma

QUESTION

Fleecing of visitors at the parking lots of the city continues unabated. Issuing manual slips, charging more than the prescribed rates and lack of facilities at the lots have become the norm rather than an exception. What should be done to stop this illegal practice?

Suggestions in not more than 100 words can be sent to [email protected] by Thursday (June 1).

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