Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

`Segment traffic enforcement' scheme in capital, Kochi

G. Anand

Accident-prone road segments will be identified for scheme

Thiruvananthapuram: Accident-prone road segments in nine police districts will be identified for "focussed and location specific" enforcement of traffic norms, according to Inspector General of Police (South Zone) Arun Kumar Sinha.

The "segment traffic enforcement" scheme will essentially involve dividing urban areas into different segments for traffic management.

The scheme will be initially implemented in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.

The IG said the approach would help the police devise location specific traffic management strategies to ensure safety of pedestrians, two-wheeler riders, school children and smooth movement of vehicles.

The police will seek the help of traffic management experts and organisations to study road segments and junctions considered to be accident prone.

The police will liaison closely with local bodies and the Public Works Department to make roads safer for motorists by identifying accident prone "black spots" and suggesting remedies.

The police will put in place a system to regularly draw the attention of civic authorities to poor roads, ill lit junctions and unsafe roads.

Pavements will be cleared of hawkers. Illegal appropriation of road space for parking, particularly in front of commercial establishments, will be discouraged.

The police will fine those who pile construction materials on the road or erect arches in a dangerous manner. Traffic awareness classes will be held in schools and colleges. Traffic enforcement and education will go hand-in-hand.

The drive against drunken driving will be intensified. The licenses of those caught on the charge of drunken driving will be suspended.

The police are also planning to step-up traffic enforcement during nigh time. Over-speeding, rash and negligent driving, drunken driving, failure to dim headlights and violation of one-way rules are the most common nigh time traffic offences noticed by the police.

Steps will be taken to discourage dangerous driving and overcharging by autorickshaw drivers.

The police will also extend traffic enforcement to accident-prone sub-urban roads.

According to the police, over-speeding, rash driving and overloading of vehicles are the main causes for the accidents in rural areas. Most of the sub-urban roads are ill-maintained, with sudden dips and sharp turns.

The lack of an efficient public transport system has forced the rural population to rely heavily on mini-vans operating parallel services. Most of the vans carry at least double the number of passengers than legally permitted and drivers of vehicles conducting parallel services are prone to over speeding.

Incorrect overtaking, aggressive driving, driver fatigue, unmarked speed breakers and absence of road signs are also accident-causing factors in suburban areas. Most suburban rural roads and junctions lack proper lighting.

A road user satisfaction survey conducted by the Kerala Public Works Department had pointed out that parking of cargo vehicles on the roadside was a major cause of accidents during night.

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