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| Better late than never | | | | The concern expressed by the Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad over frequent road accidents in hilly areas of the state, though coming late, only after several precious human lives are lost in the road accidents, yet the same is welcomed, the Chief Minister held a high level meeting to discuss the causes leading to these accidents, about half a dozen of which have occurred on the Doda—Kishtwar road within a month, taking a toll of about three dozen lives and to evolve measures to check or minimize the same. Among the measures decided to be taken include permission for plying on the hilly roads only the vehicles having capacity for 25 passengers and regular checkup of road worthiness of these vehicles. It is also decided to strengthen the traffic staff on field duty to check any violation of traffic rules by the drivers, including over seating as well as monitoring speed limit. Overtaking the bus ahead at curves is to be strictly discouraged by making the law more stringent. Further flying checking squads and mobile magistrates are sought to be frequently remaining busy on checking traffic violations. The other steps contemplated are upgrading of the medical care, particularly immediate treatment of the injured at the nearest hospital as well as pressing into service of mobile recovery and medical care vans and ambulances. While all these contemplated steps are all right but what is more important is their proper implementation and plucking of all the loop holes in observance of the traffic norms and safety measures. The use of safety belts, which is a mandatory all over the country, even for those driving small vehicles in the cities and on roads in the plains, is not being enforced in Jammu and Kashmir even in the case of drivers of heavy vehicles plying on the zag-zag hilly roads, having sharp curves. The widening of the roads and their proper alignment to avoid as far as possible the sharp curves is highly imperative. What is needed is to motivate the traffic staffs on duty, by recruiting men of integrity and those dedicated to their duty, who should be more found on the roads rather than resting at some wayside dhabas or other places. These cops and even their officers are only keen to collect ‘Hafta’ from the drivers and owners of the vehicles rather than enforcing traffic rules. The permission for plying only small vehicles on the hilly roads is a welcome step, but what is needed for is to check any overloading. Presently seating more than double the capacity of the vehicles, with many passengers seated on the roof tops and hanging on the windows is a common feature. The motivation of the drivers to strictly follow traffic norms, resisting the temptation to earn extra bucks at the cost of risk to the lives of the passengers, whose fate is in their hands, is also an important factor. The augmentation of rules and measures to check accidents is all right, but what is more important and effective is their proper implementation. |
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