Mishap-prone roads

Fifty road crash deaths in Pauri Gharwal, Uttarakhand, 17 in Mainpuri, UP, 11 in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, and 28 children dead in Nurpur, Himachal.

These are just a few examples of mass casualty incidents between the last Parliament session in April and the ongoing one. On July 1, 50 people died when their bus fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand, and yet no one has asked the most obvious question: Why are vehicles falling into gorges? Can’t there be engineering interventions to ensure that there are crash barriers on these roads to prevent these vehicles from falling off?

What is conspicuous by its absence is any systemic intervention or policy to prevent such crashes. As mind-numbing as these figures may be, tragically they are still the tip of the iceberg. Every day, 400 people die in our country due to road crashes, and yet it doesn’t cause enough consternation to the political leadership to come together and take decisive action.

Faulty design

According to Ministry of Road Transport statistics, over 10,000 people died in bus crashes in 2016. Yet, there is no hill road safety policy. According to the Ministry, faulty design and engineering of roads have caused over 7,000 crashes in 2016. This figure, however, could be much higher considering the absence of a scientific crash investigation and data collection mechanism.

The problem is accentuated by the fact that neither are there mandated minimum standards for the construction and maintenance of roads nor are there provisions in law that can hold road contractors and civic agencies accountable for faults in road design and non-maintenance of roads that lead to these crashes. Countries across the world have incorporated the ‘Safe System Approach’ in designing roads. It works with the premise that human beings make mistakes, but such mistakes should not cost them their lives. Roads must be made safe from a design and engineering perspective that can reduce the likelihood of death resulting from a crash.

Four years ago, one such case that gained public attention was the death of Union Minister Gopinath Munde. The incident brought the issue of road safety to the forefront and triggered exhaustive discussions about possible reforms. Shortly after Munde’s death, Road Transport and Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari, acknowledged the need for a comprehensive legal framework for road safety and promised reforms in legislation that would align with international best practices. A forward-looking intervention was envisaged to address the lacunae in the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 (MVA). However, four years and a shocking 5,00,000 road crash deaths later, the legislation is still pending in the Rajya Sabha. Comprehensive legislation, which incorporates strict and appropriate penalties, backed by consistent, sustained enforcement and public education, has proven to be a strong catalyst for road safety across the world.

The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017 does have many reformative provisions which will strengthen road safety in India. However, it has consistently been de-prioritised and has not been passed in the Rajya Sabha despite being listed for three sessions. Passing the Bill in the current Monsoon Session would be a step in the right direction and ensure justice to all those who have lost their loved ones and been affected by road crashes.

The writer is Founder and CEO, SaveLIFE Foundation.

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