This is the umpteenth time that we are conveying the voice of the people of the State against increase in the number of fatalities in road accidents. There is no let-up in this tragic affair and the number of the wounded runs into thousands. The Minister, who is in charge of Transport Department also, disclosed on the floor of the legislature the statistics of road accidents, people who are killed or wounded year-wise and region-wise. The figures are disappointing, particularly when compared to the fatalities during previous years. It seems that surface traveling in the hilly state has become a fifty-fifty adventure for the passengers. The same is true about load carriers. The Minister, while expressing his unhappiness on these tragic incidents, has tried to absolve his Government by enumerating some of the measures his Government has taken to stem the tide and show improvement in road traffic situation. We agree that the Government has taken many steps as were suggested by various committees constituted by it from time to time. Nevertheless, the taste of pudding is in eating. It is the result on the ground that determines the success or failure or neutrality of a given scheme and situation. Despite all those preventive measures enumerated by the Minister in his intervention, much more remains to do to ensure safe transport along hilly and mountainous region of the State. Most of the measures, which he mentioned are inherent in the desk book of rules for road traffic and are nothing innovative or unknown. What the civil society demands is traffic sans tragedy. The Government cannot remain complacent with reduced number of road accidents or fatalities; the Government has to ensure that there are zero accidents and zero fatalities. That is what will make the Traffic Department a model department failing which it will remain an object of public criticism.
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