Latest News For 'Other Traffic News'
April 17th, 2009
Shimla: The accident in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district that killed 19 bus passengers Tuesday has once again exposed the apathy of the government on the issue of road safety.
A similar accident in November last year left 46 people dead.
Kuldeep S. Pathania, legislator from Chamba of the opposition Congress, said Tuesday’s accident had once again exposed the government’s lack of preparedness to check accidents.
“The series of major road accidents has exposed utter lack of coordination between the state transport authority and the traffic police when it comes to checking overloading, reckless and drunken driving,” he added.
“The driver was reckless at the wheel. The bus was descending a steep gradient when the driver probably failed to negotiate a hairpin bend and the vehicle rolled down the gorge,” eyewitness Bhima Devi said.
“The bus also seemed mechanically unfit for carrying passengers,” she added.
According to police records, rash driving, overloading, untrained drivers, mechanically unfit buses and poor roads have been among the factors that killed cause for the death of 7,912 people in road accidents in the past 10 years.
The number of accidental deaths was at an all-time high in 2007 when 979 people lost their lives in 2,955 accidents. Last year, 581 people were killed.
Police officers blamed buses belonging to private operators and their reckless, untrained drivers for most of the fatal accidents.
In Tuesday’s accident in Chamba district also, the bus of a private operator was involved.
State Transport Minister Kishan Kapoor also said private buses were involved in most fatal accidents.
“The topography of the hill state is mainly responsible for raising accident rate in the state, but efforts are being made to bring down their number. We know private buses are more involved in accidents,” he said.
There are about 2,800 private buses plying in the state while the number of Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses is just 1,800.
“The drivers engaged by private transporters often lack proper driving skills. Competition among bus drivers to pick up more and more passengers leads to overspeeding and negligent driving, but we are monitoring them regularly,” Kapoor said.
“Checking of private buses plying on various routes would be intensified. The transport department has decided to impart training to the drivers of the private operators,” he said.
Director General of Police G.S. Gill said: “The department has identified 556 accident-prone spots, including 210 on national highways, in the state. We are taking measures along with the public works department to minimise the accidents as lack of proper parapet and fortifications along the treacherous tracks lead to the fatal accidents.”
HRTC managing director T.C. Janartha said: “We have received funds for strengthening and opening driving schools in order to train drivers of private buses.”
May 11th, 2007
Lucknow: In keeping with the counting of votes to begin on Friday at Polytechnic College, Faizabad Road, traffic department has made following diversions. Vehicles from Sitapur would be stopped at Madiaon and those from Faizabad at Matiyari/Chinhat.
Roadways buses from Faizabad Road would be diverted to the left of Chinhat tri-section towards Gomtinagar. Similarly, buses from Lucknow to Faizabad would follow the same route.
Traffic from Gomtinagar over-bridge towards Faizabad would be diverted to the right of PICUP Bhawan tri-section towards Lohia Hospital. Same route would be taken by vehicles from Faizabad Road.
Traffic from Nishatganj would be turned to the left of CO Gomtinagar office and move through the right of Aravali Crossing and Sector 8 Crossing, same route would be followed by the vehicles coming from Sitapur Road.
SOurce: TOI(Lucknow epaper)
May 2nd, 2007
Pune: There may be less traffic on Pune’s roads after 9 pm but traffic accidents rise sharply as the driving gets more dangerous and vehicles take empty roads as an invitation to speed up.
Reckless and drunken driving are the main reasons for the accidents.
With the traffic police switching off signals after 9.30 pm (only the ones at Jedhe chowk and Alka chowk are kept on till midnight), the temptation to race has only increased.
When asked why the signals are switched off, assistant commissioner of police (traffic), S.M. Bhoomkar, said, “Since there is less traffic during night hours and only a few men to regulate traffic, the lights are switched off, most of them automatically. “Keeping traffic signals on in the night in the absence of traffic police, would only lead to confusion,” he said, adding that the red and amber lights are put on blinkers.
“This is an international norm,” Bhoomkar said, explaining that a red blinker is an indicator that the driver is approaching a major traffic junction where he has to stop and proceed, while the amber light indicates that the driver has to slow down before proceeding.
What’s more, with only 40 policemen of the 450-strong traffic police force during night hours to man the entire city, including Pimpri-Chinchwad, the urge to break the rule has only grown stronger.
Moreover, the ‘pub culture’ has resulted in increased late night activities throughout the week, more so, during the weekends.
Although the city traffic police have not undertaken any study on clock-wise road accidents, an official said more than 35% of all accidents take place during the night hours. “And over 90% of the accidents reported during night-time are fatal,” said a police official.
NIGHT NUMBERS
- Traffic signals kept on at night: Nil
- Police say 35% of all accidents occur in night hours. 90% fatal
- Night-time traffic: 80% less than daytime
- Traffic cops on duty at night: 40
- Total length of roads in city: 1,252 km
- Ratio of cops to km during night: 1 cop for a little over 31 km
- Pune city has 152 traffic junctions, besides 1,477 chowks
CRASH FACTORS
- Drunken driving
- Over speeding, tendency to race (in 2006, 287 cases registered; in 2007 till March, 114 cases registered)
- Scant respect for other motorists and traffic rules
- Use of high beam
- Not wearing helmet, seat-belt
- Listening to music at full blast
- Talking on cell phone
Source: TOI (epaper)
April 9th, 2007
Lucknow: Nothing is coming out of traffic department’s efforts. It is more than a month now that the drive against beacons, hooters, improper number plate, black films and other equipments has continued. However, several vehicles are still being seen with these equipments.
Similarly, when it comes to setting traffic in order, Charbagh, Hussainganj, Burlington, Royal Hotel, Hazratganj and Gole Market crossings continue to be pathetic.
Although, Charbagh has been a focus area with action against SRTC buses continuing but heavy congestion has remained the same. This, however, has not shaken the department out of its slumber. Add to it, the drive being conducted “on and off ” has been a big impediment.
“We could not carry on with the routine drive for some days, as the staff was on duty in Old City areas. Then we were busy with the nominations, now we have resumed the drive again,” is the reason extended by RK Srivastava, Superintendent of Police (traffic).
Meanwhile, on Sunday, total 507 vehicles were checked in Charbagh, Hazratganj, Royale Hotel, Bangla Bazar and Sultanpur Road. Seven vehicles were fined under the offence of overloading, speeding and pollution.
Two were fined for no-entry and 49 for violating various traffic norms. Seven black films and pressure horns were removed. A fine of Rs 20,800 was mopped up during the drive. In an action against roadways buses, 27 were challaned.
Source: TOI (Lucknow-epaper)
March 29th, 2007
Lucknow: There are now encroachers emerging on both sides of the stretch between the Alambagh police station and Mawaiyya. Traffic constables deployed at the spot have remained oblivious to these vendors who stand with their ‘thelas’.
With traffic department already accepting its “helplessness” in battling encroachment, it is not worth a point to be made to them. However, it is certainly not doing much towards what is within its jurisdiction.
Although, there is a drive to rectify things nothing much is coming out of the routine exercise which is rolling on with each passing day. Charbagh has been the focus area for almost a week now wherein traffic authorities are all set to clear congestion.
A giant SRTC bus even if it halts for a trice is enough to throw traffic out of gear as there is a big line of vehicles trailing it. Situation is no better at Alambagh, Charbagh, Hussainganj, Burlington and GPO crossings, many of which are not without chaos even in the night. In a day’s action, however, on Wednesday, 61 SRTC buses were challaned. Besides, six black films, a pressure horn and a faulty number plate was removed. Fifteen vehicles were seized and 32 people were caught breaking traffic rules.
Source: TOI(Lucknow-epaper)
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