Govt not bothered about unabated road accidents
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 6: Notwithstanding the concern expressed after each and every tragic mishap, the Government is seemingly little bothered about checking unabated road accidents in the State as even after the lapse of over one month the recommendations of the House Committee remain confined in the official files and nobody seems serious even to implement those suggestions of the panel which require only issuance of formal orders by the Administrative Departments.
Though the House Committee was constituted to look into the causes of frequent road accidents in erstwhile Doda district only yet the panel touched this grave issue in its entirety and made comprehensive recommendations, which if implemented can help in checking road accidents not only in erstwhile Doda district but across the State.
But after the tabling of House Committee report in the Legislative Assembly nobody from the concerned departments felt it appropriate to start follow up action on the panel’s recommendations despite the fact that there is no let up in the tragic road accidents.
What to talk of implementing those recommendations which require resources and time even those suggestions, which can be implemented simply by way of issuing formal orders by the Administrative Departments, have not received any attention till date.
“The recommendations pertaining to the Transport Department, which can be immediately implemented just with the formal directions from the senior officers that too without putting any financial burden on the State exchequer, include holding trials of the drivers having licenses to drive passenger service vehicles by a special team, constitution of special team of Medical Officers for issuance of fresh medical certificates to passenger service vehicle drivers of the specified area to rule out their addiction to drugs, alcohol or other intoxicants”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Similarly, the recommendations regarding imposition of ban on further issuance of licenses to drive passenger service vehicle without successful completion of professional training in driving schools, framing time table for operation of passenger service vehicles to avoid overloading, display of particulars of driver including his license number at a proper place in the passenger service vehicles, prohibiting driving of a passenger service vehicle without a conductor as prescribed under rules and imposition of ban on plying of four wheeled base matadors in the hilly districts, have not received any attention of Transport Department despite the fact that these too don’t require any major efforts, sources further said.
Notwithstanding the fact that recommendations of the House Panel vis-à-vis State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) are of much importance in checking the road accidents, not even one of them has so far received required attention.
Contrary to the urgency projected by the panel, SRTC has not restored the fleet position of 2009-10 with the addition of 34 new vehicles despite the lapse of over one month. Similar is the fate of other vital suggestions which include setting up of workshops in erstwhile Doda district for immediate repairs of the vehicles.
Likewise Transport Department and SRTC, the Home Department has also not taken any step to implement the recommendations of the House Panel particularly those which don’t require any major initiative, sources said. These recommendations pertain to checking and preventing loading of material, particularly the commercial goods on the roof tops of the passenger vehicles, highway patrolling by special traffic squad, enforcement of time table of all passenger service vehicles and to prevent diversion of routes by SRTC and other transport agencies having specific route permits.
Health Department, which has a vital role to play in post-tragic accidents stage, has too not followed the recommendations of the House Panel so far, sources said, adding “no step has so far been initiated to provide sufficient manpower in the existing accidental and trauma hospitals particularly in the erstwhile Doda district”.
“If the Government can be so casual in implementing the short term recommendations how can one expect it to vigorously follow the long term measures”, sources asked.
When contacted, Minister for Transport, Qamar Ali Akhoon said, “we are awaiting for the report of M/s RITES, which has been assigned the task of preparing Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for both the Capital Cities”, adding “we will together study the CMP and report of House Panel before starting implementation of recommendations one by one”.
In response to a question, the Minister expressed his inability to specify the time-frame within which M/s RITES will submit the report vis-à-vis short term measures.
“If the House Committee recommendations have to wait for the preparation of CMP then what was the utility of constituting the panel”, sources asked.
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