|
Citizens’ cry for safer streets
— that has reached Writers’ Buildings through The Telegraph
campaign — hit home on Thursday, with the state transport
department submitting a list of proposals to police.
Transport minister Subhas Chakraborty
convened a meeting with police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee
and tabled some road rules to curb the accident count.
Metro takes a look at four
major suggestions and runs a reality check:
PROPOSAL:
Use of speed governors on public buses and lorries to check
speeding.
Logic:
“The speed governor will regulate the speed of a vehicle
within the stipulated 30/40 kph. The driver cannot speed
even if he wants to. The use of this device is permitted
under the Central Motor Vehicles Act and some states have
implemented this to curb speeding,” said a transport department
official.
GROUND
REALITY: Kerala had experimented with this last October,
but a strike by private bus operators and lorry owners forced
a rollback. The transport lobby claimed spending Rs 15,000-20,000
to install a speed governor was not feasible. Given the
transport minister’s woeful track record in getting vehicles
to switch to cleaner fuel, the speed governor looks a non-starter.
PROPOSAL:
Around 300 volunteers be deployed at the 30 busiest
intersections in the city during peak hours.
Logic:
“Since the police are busy regulating vehicular traffic,
the volunteers will monitor pedestrian movement. This will
prevent jaywalking and make crossroads less chaotic,” said
the official.
GROUND
REALITY: Sporadic attempts have been made to manage
traffic through volunteers — and most have ended up adding
to the chaos.
PROPOSAL:
Policemen and motor vehicles department inspectors to monitor
tests for heavy vehicle licences.
Logic:
“The selection process for bus drivers must be more stringent,”
said the official.
GROUND
REALITY: Corrupt cops and motor vehicles officials
stand accused of encouraging licence loopholes. How will
that be stopped?
PROPOSAL:
A joint commissioner of police to oversee motor training
schools.
Logic:
“The motor training schools would become accountable,” said
the official.
Ground
reality: Top cops are struggling to keep the city
going, how will they run training schools?
Will these proposals work?
Tell ttmetro@abpmail.com
|
