The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : KSRTC pays Rs. 15 crores as accident relief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 14, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

KSRTC pays Rs. 15 crores as accident relief

Staff Reporter

Lack of efficient training programmes and seriousness among drivers causes road accidents, says expert

BANGALORE: "Every year the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) pays about Rs. 15 crores as compensation for its accident victims. Bangalore has 21 lakh vehicles. There are 14 lakh two-wheelers. Twenty-three per cent of the accidents is caused by two-wheelers," P.S. Ananda Rao, Environment Officer, KSRTC, said here on Wednesday.

Mr. Rao was inaugurating a "Safe driving" workshop organised by Shell Solar India Private Ltd. at Devanahalli on the outskirts of the city.

Studies indicate that the rate of accidents is the highest in the age group of 23 to 35. Accidents caused are high in the age group of 35 to 48 because of slow reaction time while driving and poor eyesight. There should be more use of dividers, medians and the traffic signals to ensure safety and better traffic regulation, he said.

"With the use of bio-fuels, we can save several crores of rupees and can conserve the depleting petroleum reserves. We adopt stringent measures while recruiting the drivers. They are made to go through tests such as the upgradient test, reverse `S' test and others in simulated environments and their skills are tested. Lack of efficient training programmes and seriousness among drivers cause accidents," said Mr. Rao.

Workshops on road safety and driving should be conducted every month.

"Road safety is a major issue. The World Health Organisation has recognised road injuries as one of the leading causes of death in the world. The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) recognises brain damages due to road accidents as road crashes and treats it as an epidemiological issue," said Shailaja D. Sharma, Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Shell India Private Ltd.

"The President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam during his recent visit to Russia referred to our country's population as our strength and not as a problem. The youth of our nation are our greatest strength. But 70 to 80 per cent of our youth succumb to early deathsdue to road accidents. In this regard, wearing helmets should be made compulsory," said K. Nagabushan of Shell.

High speed, ignorance of road safety and driving rules, lack of responsibility on the part of the drivers are the prime factors causing accidents, he added.

A three-hour workshop was conducted by Girish Chandra Kukreti, Principal faculty, Institute Road Traffic Education (IRTE). The Motor Vehicles Act should be replaced by "Road User Act," only then the rate of accidents can be reduced.

"The motto of this workshop is to develop a positive road culture in our country," he said.

Around 30 two -wheeler riders of Devanahalli participated in the workshop. It involved classroom session, practical skills and knowledge tests.

Rohini, Occupational Health Hazards and Health Consultant, KSRTC; and Jaganath, councillor, were present.

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