(Mr. Mohammad Ashraf Fazili, 68, was born in Srinagar. He received his early schooling from the Government Middle School, Nowhatta, Srinagar, and from M.P. High School, Baghi Dilawar Khan in Srinagar. Mr. Fazili completed his F.Sc. from the Sri Pratap College in Srinagar, and received his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Annamalai University with honours grade. He joined the J&K government service upon graduation and steadily rose up the ranks to the position of Chief Engineer at his retirement. He managed a number of important infrastructure projects during his government service, including the Model Town Chrar-i-Sharif, Lower Jhelum Hydro Electric Project, Solid Waste Disposal Scheme Srinagar City, Circular Road Project Srinagar City, etc. He has numerous publications to his credit, including Srinagar the Sun City, Our Ancestors and Saints of Kashmir, etc., which were presented in seminar and symposia. He writes for various journals and is presently working on the Jhelum Valley Civilization.)
Ensure Public Safety
This refers to the “The road to Life” by Dr.
Manzoor Ahmad Yetoo (GK, August 7, 2012). The rise in road traffic in J&K
State without compatible increase/improvement of road network has been one of
the factors responsible for traffic accidents. When the space occupied by
vehicles proportionate to available road surface area is not monitored, it
results in frequent traffic congestion, causing heavy loss in terms of working
hours of people besides wastage of POL. The other factor is the poor geometrics
of our roads, which were mostly designed for animal driven carts from Maharaja’s
time. The other important reasons are deficiencies in vehicular design, inept
maintenance and usage, poor driving and unusual road user behavior, lack of
education and enforcement of traffic rules. To add to this, it is the lack of
will to comply with the basic tenets of traffic safety which is the main cause
of road accidents.
Every hour 40 people under the age of 25 die in road
accidents around the globe. According to the WHO, this is the second most
important cause of death for 5 to 29 year olds. In India alone the death toll
rose to 14 per hour in 2009 as compared to 13 the previous year. The total
number of deaths every year due to road accidents has now passed 35,000 mark
according to the latest report of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). While
trucks and 2-wheelers were responsible for over 40 % of deaths, peak traffic
during the afternoon and evening rush hours is the most dangerous time to be on
the roads.
It is often said that accidents are caused; they just do not
happen. If factors responsible are identified properly and appropriate remedial
measures are taken on an inter-disciplinary basis, there is no reason why the
number of accidents should not reduce. Apart from road and traffic factors,
human factors are often responsible for accidents, which are caused by lack of
judgment, sometimes by over confidence and sometimes by callousness, whether on
the part of drivers or any other road user including the pedestrians.
Besides
dire punishment to drivers for their negligence under Motor Vehicles Act, it is
also necessary that the drivers are well trained in the art of driving and made
conscious of their duties towards the other road users. There is a need to
establish a model Motor-driving Teaching Institution especially for drivers of
heavy vehicles. In UAE, I have found that the license is issued only after
attending the driving institute and after passing the tedious test. Similarly
the pedestrians ought to know the rules of the road. Besides, the parking rules
are ignored by the road users, while in the former case, education and publicity
could help to a great deal in educating public on how to cross the road,
deterrent punishment should be imposed on those who violate parking rules for
their selfish interests and cause reduction in the road space leading to a
number of accidents. The authorities need to provide multi-storeyed parking lots
in the congested parts of the city centre even if they need to acquire some
space and dismantle some structures.
Accident prevention measures comprise of
three E’s, viz. Engineering, Education and Enforcement. Accident statistics in
India highlight the driver’s fault as the predominant cause and therefore
enforcement and education are much more important than engineering. Better
traffic engineering, improved traffic management operations, proper enforcement
and intensive road user education programs can definitely bring down the number
of accidents and provide safer roads for the community.
Strict enforcement of
traffic laws keeps accidents under check even when the vehicles travel at a
maximum speed of 120 kmph. We witness frequent fatal accidents on Jammu-Srinagar
National Highway and other hilly roads. Inspection of vehicles before putting
them on roads is a must, for which mechanical workshop facilities need to be
provided at vital spots at the foot and also at the top of steep ghat sections,
where especially the loaded vehicles can be inspected and only the certified
ones can be allowed to enter the ghat sections. Self-discipline needs to be
inculcated in all vehicle owners to get their vehicles periodically inspected
and apply for registration or renewal of registration of only such vehicles that
are certified to be road worthy by approved workshops.
Highway engineers need
to provide a safe road system. The present road system is not fully geared to
meet the demands of the modern heavy and fast moving traffic. The presence of a
variety of slow and fast moving vehicles, overcrowding of arterial routes and
thoroughfares, encroachments and ribbon development, poor lighting conditions
and improper intersection designs create conditions for accidents. Therefore it
is important to pin-point specific reasons for the cause of accident at a
particular spot. Once the correct accident information is made available and
properly analysed, it would be possible to find out the causes of accidents and
undertake timely remedial measures.
Maintaining and developing the present
road system to a high standard within the available funds is the responsibility
of Highway Engineer. While for the new roads, it would be necessary to provide
for inbuilt traffic safety at the design stage itself; for the existing roads,
the solution will vary from situation to situation. There may be cases for
improving geometric deficiencies or providing improved facilities like widening
and constructing fly-overs. It should be ensured that measures, which can reduce
the number of accidents to maximum extent at minimum cost, are given first
priority. Every year funds can be got earmarked for the purpose out of plan or
non-plan allocation from the authorities.