|
April 28: Road accidents have
emerged as one of the worst killers in Guwahati as the boom in vehicular
traffic continues.
The number of road mishaps had risen from 385 in
2002 to 487 last year, with a corresponding increase in fatalities.
According to the records of city police, the
death toll associated with road traffic was 129 in 2002 but rose to 182 in
2004. Interestingly, two-wheeler riders and pedestrians accounted for 60
per cent of the road accidents.
Experts feel that unless some drastic measures
are implemented, it will become even more difficult to arrest the trend.
Already, 129 road mishaps have occurred up to March this year, claiming no
less than 50 lives.
The sharp increase in vehicular traffic on city
roads is to be blamed for this disturbing trend.
Every year, the total number of vehicles
in city increases by at least 30,000. But there has been no proportional
improvement of existing infrastructure, particularly roads, over the
years. At present, there are three lakh vehicles on city roads.
Of these, around 10,000 are slow-moving vehicles. On an average, 2,000 new
vehicles are registered in the city every month. Guwahati being the
capital, a large number of vehicles registered outside the city also ply
on the city roads.
�The absence of necessary infrastructure for
absorbing the ever-increasing number of vehicles and general disregard for
traffic rules are to be blamed for this situation,� said additional
superintendent of police (traffic) Kumar S. Krishna.
He said they have intensified the drive against
violation of traffic rules in the past couple of months. But getting
people to respect the basic rules of the road still remains a big
challenge.
�We are collecting no less than Rs 45,000 as
fines for violation of traffic rules everyday. But in spite of that, the
necessary public awareness regarding road safety remains a distant dream,�
Krishna said. A few days back, city police collected fines worth Rs 55,000
on a single day � a record.
He said it was necessary to develop
infrastructure such as installation of automatic traffic signal systems,
overhead pedestrian bridges, rotaries, multi-storeyed parking lots and bus
bays as well as to widen roads to ease the traffic congestion.
Automatic traffic signals are immediately
required at Jalukbari, Adabari, Bharalumukh, Fancy Bazar, District Library
and TC School traffic points, Ganeshguri, Bhangagarh, Six Mile, Basistha
Chariali and Charabbhati while parking lots are desperately needed at
Maligaon, Fancy Bazar, Panbazar, GS Road, Ganeshguri and Silpukhuri.
�If the long-distance bus terminus is shifted
from the heart of the city to the suburbs, it will also help a lot in
traffic management,� the additional SP noted.
Pedestrian crossings also need to be marked
every half-a-kilometre on busy roads to ensure pedestrian safety.
The situation is expected to improve when the
proposed traffic management plan for Guwahati becomes a reality. The
Kamrup (metropolitan) administration will prepare the plan in consultation
with city police and other government agencies related to the city�s
development. | )
