The numbers might seem insignificant given the population of Belagavi city but I guess the problem is often best realised when disaster comes home.
The recent spate of accidents in the city presents a scenario that is both familiar and sad if not disgraceful. Grave injuries, death of a child still unborn, and many more tales of gore and yet the madness continues unabated.
One doesn’t understand what it will take to get both the people and the administration to wake up to better sense.
There are two sides to the story. One which hinges upon the responsibility of citizens like you and me and the other, the laws that are in place and the machinery that is supposed to ensure that they are implemented. It’s a failure on both sides.
The biggest problem of them all is the traffic rule violations and both young and old, boys and girls, men and women, alike, are guilty of misdoings.
It is a common sight to see youngsters buzzing around on two-wheelers with three or even four people seated on the poor vehicle. Add speed to the mix and we have the perfect recipe for accidents. And it is not just the stunt part of it but also the fact that they do this even on the wrong side of the road. And the way they speed around is even more crazy. Should we hold the parents responsible for not keeping track of how their child uses the two wheeler that is gifted to them? And even accidents don’t seem to deter either the riders or the families from taking corrective measures. The mobile phones are another addition to the uncertainty surrounding the safety. Checking messages while riding or even driving, taking calls and even using earphones while riding; absolutely senseless. The cacophony of the vehicles with modified silencers is another super irritating nuisance.
And the act is not just restricted to two wheelers. We have people talking on mobile phones while driving cars and even autos and buses. Huge buses and trucks travelling on the wrong side of the road to reduce distance of travel is another super risky stupidity.
Another noteworthy issue. While private vehicles are checked for pollution norms, why isn’t the same done for institutional vehicles, autos, government buses and other such modes of transport? The city is already facing pollution problems especially at signals.
Ah…the mention of the signal draws attention to another huge problem. People zipping across roads just as the signal is turning red or much before it officially turns green are acts that seriously endanger lives.
Profusely overfilled buses and autos with people hanging out, school kids being ferried in autos with bags hanging all round and kids sitting beside the driver, the list seems endless.
Sadly one can see not just the so called educated folks but sometimes even the policemen guilty of these crimes.
Given the increase in the number of people violating the rules, it is time that the administration wakes up to better implementation duties than that of just checking licences. If the time spent in pulling out people to check documents were spent on preventing rash driving and taking the culprits to take will go a long way in some serious implementation of safety measures on roads.
How many lives or how many broken limbs and skulls will it take as sacrifices for both the citizens and the administration to wake up?