Archive for January, 2007
January 31st, 2007
NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over increasing road accidents, the Supreme Court has suggested that a national policy be evolved to prevent and reduce traffic fatalities.
Quoting figures published in ‘Global Road Safety’, a Bench of the Court consisting of Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice S.H. Kapadia said “almost 1.2 million people are killed each year and 20 to 50 million injured or disabled; most people are unaware that road traffic injuries are a leading cause of death and disability”.
The Bench was dismissing an appeal by Rathnaselvan against a Karnataka High Court judgment that upheld a six-month imprisonment awarded by the trial court for rash driving.
Writing the judgment, Justice Pasayat said, “In developing countries, death rates from vehicle crashes are rising and disproportionately high in relation to the number of crashes.” At 71,495 and 59,927 deaths, China and India had the highest number of road fatalities in the world in 1995.
“In developing countries, each vehicle is much more lethal than the vehicles in developed countries, because it most frequently takes the lives not of vehicle occupants but of vulnerable road users: pedestrians, cyclists.”
“Human toll is tragic,” the Bench added. “Survivors and family members are affected not only by an immediate death or disability but also sometimes by a lifetime of psychological suffering. Crashes often result in orphans and some victims, as young as infants, spend the rest of their lives in medical facilities.”
The Bench said, “In addition to the devastating human toll, the economic impact of road crashes is enormous. Many of those injured or killed are wage earners, leaving families destitute and without means of support. We have the tools needed to combat this epidemic.
In the developed nations, proven methods such as enforcement of laws regarding driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, reducing speed limits and requiring seat belts and restraints have shown a significant reduction in traffic fatalities.”
“Developing countries face poorly designed and maintained roadways, unsafe vehicles, drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol, lack of national policies and inadequate enforcement,” the Judges added.
“Road design and road environment, vehicle design and road safety standards are also strategies that successfully address traffic safety. Education alone has been shown to be less effective and often ineffective. Success will require significant new resources supported by sustained political commitment.”
Source: The Hindu (Delhi-epaper)
January 30th, 2007
The Delhi -Gurgaon Expressway will see another missed deadline, according to the National Highways Authority of India. The Udyog Vihar and Mahipalpur flyovers were to be inaugurated on January 31 but now it will probably happen only in the first week of February.
Work was completed almost a week ago, according to the contractors DS Constructions Ltd. “A road safety test to be conducted and certified by National Highway Authority of India. This lead to a delay in opening the completed flyovers,” according to Bhupendra Kainthola, GM, Media Operations, NHAI.
Only 15 km of the 27.7 km Expressway will be a continuous stretch even after the opening of the Udyog Vihar and Mahipalpur flyovers.
With the RTR Palam, IFFCO Chowk and South City flyovers still under construction the Expressway will not be functional before September 2007. ” Iffco and South City flyover have been targeted to open by April and RTR - Palam by September 2007, according to Rafi Q Khan,GM, Corporate Communications, DS Constructions.
At the same time, commuters are complaining about the expressway being opened in stretches. They say traffic gets worse during the peak hours when people have to take to alternate route after using one flyover.
Source: Yahoo News
January 30th, 2007
New Delhi: Dense fog had the capital in its grip on Monday morning reducing visibility to almost nil and affecting rail, road and air traffic. General visibility dipped to 100 metres in several parts of the city. Cars moved slowly in the early hours of the day with fog lamps on and tail lights on the blink mode. The minimum temperature in the capital was 12.3 degrees celsius, four degrees above normal, the met office said.
A few flights were delayed at the Indira Gandhi international airport on Monday as the runway visibility range dipped to 100 metres at 8 am. The weatherman attributed fog to high pressure area over the capital and adjoining parts that was affecting wind movement.
“The easterlies are bringing in moisture and a high pressure area is affecting wind movement leading to dense fog,’’ the weather office said.
However, disruptions in air traffic were not severe as visibility improved steadily and was 1150 metres at 10 am. Some early morning trains bound for New Delhi were also delayed.
The foggy conditions are likely to continue for another day, the met office said. At the airport, low visibility procedures were implemented at 8 am and flights operated using the instrument landing systems.
Source: TOI(Delhi-epaper)
January 30th, 2007
Mumbai: Muslims in the city will observe Moharrum on Tuesday in the memory of Imam Hussain, grandson of Prophet Mohammed, who attained martyrdom at Karbala. A procession of Ashura (Sham-e-gariba for Mohurram) is scheduled from 3 pm to 9 pm on the following roads—: Pakmodia Street along Yakub Stree, IR Road, JJ junction, Ramchandra Bhatt, Marg Noorbaug Junction, Shivdas Capsi Marg, Hong Kong Bridge. The procession terminates at Rehamatabad Cemetery at Mazgaon.
There will be processions on Sir JJ Road, IR Road, Mohammed Ali Road and Mahatma Phule Market (Crawford Market) Traffic will be diverted on some roads. North-bound traffic towards Chakala Junction which proceeds towards J J Junction via Mohamed Ali Road will be diverted to P D’Mello Road via Carnac Bunder Bridge at Chakala Junction, half-an-hour before the procession starts.
Traffic from Don Taki Junction towards JJ Junction via Maulana Shaukat Ali Road will be diverted to Maulana Shaukat Ali Road (S) and Duncan Road. Traffic from Gol Deoul (Round Temple) towards Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Road will take a right turn and move to Bapu Khote Street Traffic coming towards Pydhonie Junction from Abdul Rehman Street and Bapu Khote street will diverted to Kalbadevi Road BEST buses coming from Kalbadevi Road to Pydhunie junction will take a right turn at Vardhman Chowk and proceed via LT Marg, Carnac Bandar Bridge and P D’Mello Road. All south-bound BEST Buses will be diverted on to P Dmello Road from E S Patanwala Junction via Barister Nath Pai Marg. No vehicles will be allowed from Pydhunie Junction via Ibrahim Rehamtulllah Road on to Mohammed Ali Road.
Vehicles coming from Noorbag towards JJ Junction will be diverted via Dr. Maheshwari Road on to P Dmello Road.
Source: TOI(Mumbai-epaper)
January 25th, 2007
Lucknow: Traffic was thrown out of gear on the busy Sitapur Road as irate residents of Navrangpur village in Madiaon police circle placed the body of Ravi on the road and blocked it on Wednesday afternoon. They were demanding immediate arrest of prime accused Krishna Murari, who kidnapped and murdered Ravi.
Ravi’s sister was raped by their neighbour’s son Krishna Murari and his aides on September 8, 2003. After the victim lodged an FIR regarding the incident, police rounded up Krishna Murari and his friend Ujjesh. During the trial, the rape victim testified in court that Krishna Murari and Ujjesh had raped her. Subsequently, the two were awarded 10-year term each.
Krishna Murari thereafter was relased on parole after he filed a review in the higher court. The petition is still pending. Fearing that the rape victim and her family would again identify him as the accused when the review petition comes up for hearing, Krishna Murari allegedly threatened her parents to keep off from the hearing or else Ravi would be murdered.
On January 20, Ravi disappeared from outside his house under mysterious circumstances. A missing report was lodged in connection with his disappearance. On Tuesday morning police, however, recovered Ravi’s body from a farm field. Kin of the deceased had staged a road blockade on Tuesday itself demanding compensation for the family of Ravi.
The protest was dissolved after superintendent of police (SP), rural, A Mehrotra assured them of forwarding their demand to the state government. On Wednesday too, the blockade was lifted after senior police officials assured the protesters that the accused would be behind the bars within a few days.
Source: TOI(Lucknow-epaper)
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