The Geneva-based global body working for better and safer roads – International Road Federation (IRF) has expressed deep concern at high death toll in the bus accident which took place on Wednesday.
“India accounts for highest number of road accident deaths which account for more than 10 per cent of global road accident deaths. During the year 2015 about 1.46 lakh people died in road accidents in the country. As a signatory to the United Nations Decade of Action Plan, reiterated in Brasilia, India is committed to reduce the number of road accidents and fatalities by half by the year 2020,” said IRF chairman KK Kapila.
“The hill roads in the country are prone to regular road accident and a lot needs to be done to ensure road safety, especially in higher areas including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and North East states in the country. The government should plan to incorporate the latest technologies and safety features, including installation of soil and slope stabilisation and roadside safety in the hilly terrain infrastructure, crash barriers, intelligent traffic plans, rumble strips, use of speed Governors and proper signages,” stressed Kapila.
“Special separate tough driving license for hill drivers, use of vehicle tracking system, tough vehicle fitness norms and certification and development of safety code for hills should also be adhered to make road travel safe and sustainable on hills,” said the IRF chairman.
He pointed out that the recent announcement by Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as also confirmed by prime minister Narendra Modi, to install crash barriers and parapets on the entire route of the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand to curb accidents and make the pilgrimage safer is welcome. Road crash barrier systems are used worldwide on highways, especially on mountain roads, to physically prevent vehicles from running off the roadway or falling down a steep slope and protect vehicle hitting a road side object. Similar crash barriers should be installed along all mountain roads, added Kapila.
“At present, most of the hill roads in the country have been constructed around hill slopes, which remain cut off during heavy rains due to landslides. Construction of well-engineered safe tunnels and long bridges will help in movement of traffic round the year. The Ministry of Road and State Public Works Department should focus on engineering safe roads rather than on more roads as rectifying faulty designed roads with black spots is more expensive than building safe roads. Similarly, the stress should also be on safe vehicles with higher visibility features, including ABS brakes, reflective tapes on commercial vehicles and mandatory fog lamps on all vehicles,” he opined.