Speec Kills,but who will impose speed-limit ?

One accident occurred on the Jangli Maharaj Road and the other at Vallabhnagar on the Pune-Mumbai highway. In the first mishap that occurred at 2 pm, 6-year-old Yash Waghmare was killed after one PMPML bus was trying to overtake another PMPML bus and in the process ramming a two-wheeler rider. In the second mishap involving a jeep and a car,26-year-old Sachin Pawar was killed.

If,as the police say,it was overspeeding that shook two families for no fault of theirs,the question that arises is should there be a speed-limit on roads — whether internal or the highway — passing through the city limits. “Yes,why not?,” says Prashant Inamdar,president of Pedestrian First,emphatically. In congested city areas,there should be a speed limit of 20-30 kilometre per hour and on highways that pass through the city limit,the speed-limit should be 40 kmph,says Inamdar. “You can allow a little more than 40 kmph on the highway where there is a grade separator or there are no openings,” he says.

Inamdar points out that nobody will question the police if they enforce the speed-limit. “The police will have to use their discretionary powers to enforce speed-limit so as to save innocent lives. The drivers have a tendency to overspeed on wider roads. There should be some mechanism to control the speed. Otherwise,accidents which could be avoided would become common as the roads get wider and in the process innocent lives will continue to be lost just because authorities could not bring in a rule to put curbs on dangerous practices,” he says.

Inamdar says unless the police specify what limit is permitted on which roads,nobody will be bothered. “Like it is mentioned about two ways or one ways on a particular road,we should also state on which what speed is allowed. On roads like J M Road a speed-limit of 20-25 kmph is okay. In non-peak,the speed automatically increases and in peak hours it comes down,” he says. “On expressway there is a speed-limit of 80 kmph hour,yet people driving with a speed of 150 kmph. But at least there is an awareness. Once we create this awareness and start enforcing the law,the drivers will fall in place. If they don’t,the police should start taking action which will effectively put curbs on overspeeding,” he says.

Agreeing with Inamdar,another civic activist Vijay Kumbhar says the PMPML board should issue a directive to all its drivers to stop “racing” on the city roads and stop playing with with the lives of the innocent commuters. “Every day,there is a race going on between PMPML buses and other private buses. Many times,the two PMPML buses can be trying to assert their supremacy. This tendency among the PMPML drivers is making life miserable for citizens. If a PMPML buses reaches its destination 5 or 10 minutes late,the driver is not going to be sacked or the world is not going to end. It is bounden duty of the authorities to explain this fact to its drivers,” says Kumbhar. Actually,says Kumbhar,the problem is PMPML is has no control on buses that have been leased out. “There are nearly 600 buses that have been given on rent. These private drivers are behaving as they own the buses and the roads belong to them. It is time PMPML officials issue directives to its drivers to exercise restrain. This is very serious issue. The PMPML board should take it seriously,otherwise the public rage like it happened on J M Road will go out of control,” he cautions.

Activists say on several roads the PMPML buses move in absolute top gear,especially at concretised surfaces like the University road,the Wakdewadi stretch,the Khadki stretch,the stretch between Phugewadi octroi post to Marshal company,the stretch between Pimpri chowk to Nashik Phata chowk. Even in interior city areas like Bajirao Road,Shivaji Road,Kumthekar Road and Tilak Road,the PMPML buses move at their own speed unmindful of the heavy traffic density. Not only the two-wheeler riders,but even school children who cycle their way through the narrow chaotic streets are the vulnerable lot. Other than putting human lives at risk,the PMPML buses are also notorious for causing traffic jams. Many buses don’t even take halts at the bus stops. They halt on the road and in the process block the traffic flow.

Activist says the ball is now in the court of Divisional Commissioner Dilip Band,who is also the RTA chairman and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Manoj Patil. “Band and Patil will have to sit together and chalk out a strategy to curb the zealous attitude of certain drivers. There should be a stern directive to curb overspeeding. A speed-limit for interior city areas and on the highways passing through city limits has become mandatory before more lives are lost. Because of overspeeding on our roads,today nobody’s life is safe,” says Kannan Nambiar,another activist.