'Do systemic review, curb deaths due to rash driving'

LUCKNOW: The recent unfortunate death of a 64-year-old doctor, Sanjay Kumar, who was hit by an overspeeding vehicle at 1090 circle in Lucknow, calls for a systemic review and enforcement of the system on a mission mode. We need not end the matter by simply registering a case of rash driving.

Around 1.5 lakh deaths occur annually in India due to road accidents which is much more than the casualties due to terrorism or low intensity conflicts.

The issue has been discussed time and again in conferences and at apex level too. Though many changes have been introduced, they are not enough. The process of the issuance of licence has been made stringent but not much has changed on the ground.

Don't we need to ensure that the process is strictly followed? The cost of negligence is the loss of an invaluable life. The incident of the doctor's death shows lack of enforcement of speed limits, and in particular, slowing down at the crossings.

Is mere imposition of fines enough? Are we not inclined to cancel the licence after a given number of violations? Should we not debar people from driving in extreme cases of negligence as is the precedent in many other countries?

Equally important is the issue of the rights of a cyclist which brings us to the point of cyclist lanes where four-wheelers are prohibited.

Many of us have witnessed these systems in different parts of the world but it is still a casualty in our situation.

This also throws open some more systemic issues. The police is never consulted while developing new settlements or roads. The public transport system is also not a part of the planning in the process of ease of mobility for all segments of society. These departments actually get activated at a later stage.

It will not be out of place to focus on the issue of dispersed settlements or habitats as part of city development process. In case of population concentrating at one geographical zone, it needs to disperse provided we develop satellite towns. Even Lucknow now has five declared satellite towns. One hopes that they will develop fast providing for road, basic amenities, hospitals, shops, schools and rapid means of public transport.

Community cooperation models are also available. A constant campaign and awareness in each family, focus on good driving habits, volunteering as traffic facilitators for a few hours in a month, promoting youngsters as student police cadets are some of the ways we can help ourselves. We must debate on these core issues in educational institutions, social bodies and even the media.

Such incidents happening in the capital city deserve special focus, as it has its own defined demonstration effect. Lucknow is one of the declared smart cities and 1090 circle is close to major institutions. Such an incident shows a distinct lack of aggregation of smart culture in town - structural, technological, operational and behavioural.

This is a good case study for traffic managers of the city. Our best tribute to the departed soul shall be prevention of any future casualties.

(The writer is the former director general of the Central Reserve Police Force)