H R Bapu Satyanarayana, Convener, Mysore Grahakara Parishat writes
The real time picture snapped by Star of Mysore photographer capturing the accident of the head-on collision between a bike rider and the tempo near Highway Circle resulting in the death of the rider howing in graphic details the lurid scene of the pink spots from the smashed brain tell a tragic story (SOM-14/02/09) The very fact that the body is lying on one side of the continuous white line and the fact that it is a head-on collision is indicative that one of the vehicles was not following the traffic rule. However, from the reports of accident happening in recent times a more disturbing picture emerges. Recently SOM had published that in 2008 there were 171 fatal accident which is nearly 50-60% high over the accident rate in recent years It also gave that there are 4.5 lakh vehicles of which two wheeled motorised vehicles form 90% which is way above national average. The statistics of fine collected for 2008 indicated it as Rs1.97 crore which while indicates that our traffic police may have been more efficient do not tell the whole story. Both the vehicle population and amount of fine collected have dramatically increased. This calls for wholistic approach to tackle the problem for all indications are it is going to be worse in coming years if necessary corrective action is not taken immediately. The issues to be solved has many dimensions. The most important issues as it appears to me are the following:
The real time picture snapped by Star of Mysore photographer capturing the accident of the head-on collision between a bike rider and the tempo near Highway Circle resulting in the death of the rider howing in graphic details the lurid scene of the pink spots from the smashed brain tell a tragic story (SOM-14/02/09) The very fact that the body is lying on one side of the continuous white line and the fact that it is a head-on collision is indicative that one of the vehicles was not following the traffic rule. However, from the reports of accident happening in recent times a more disturbing picture emerges. Recently SOM had published that in 2008 there were 171 fatal accident which is nearly 50-60% high over the accident rate in recent years It also gave that there are 4.5 lakh vehicles of which two wheeled motorised vehicles form 90% which is way above national average. The statistics of fine collected for 2008 indicated it as Rs1.97 crore which while indicates that our traffic police may have been more efficient do not tell the whole story. Both the vehicle population and amount of fine collected have dramatically increased. This calls for wholistic approach to tackle the problem for all indications are it is going to be worse in coming years if necessary corrective action is not taken immediately. The issues to be solved has many dimensions. The most important issues as it appears to me are the following:
1. Embargo on controlling vehicle population.
2. Popularise public transportation
3. Segregation of traffic-Introducing cycle tracks which DC talked of.
4 Raise fine amount for traffic violations to .discourage violation
5. Construct multi-story parking lots at various locations.
6. Augment traffic personnel and empower them to streamline fine collection
7 Improve road conditions and its maintenance
8 Take up transport and traffic survey to aid long-term planning