Thiruvananthapuram
The death of nine persons, including five students, in a suspected reckless driving accident in Palakkad, has seared on Kerala's collective consciousness. Social media was on Thursday awash with posts raging at poor road conditions and lax traffic enforcement in the State.
The perceived failure of the Motor Vehicles department (MVD) to rein in rash driving has drawn flak from Opposition parties. The Congress and the Bharathiya Janata Party (BJP) have seized on the popular sentiment to assail the MVD.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran accused the Transport department of being stuck in a permanent firefighting mode. “There is no pre-emptive action,” he said.
Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan said buses and trucks without speed governors rule the roads. “Tourist buses are kitted out with blinding headlights, deafening sound systems and ear-splitting air horns. Incautious drivers use the devices with impunity to bully other drivers into giving them the right of way. The MVD remains a mute witness as road accident fatalities mount,” he said.
BJP State president K. Surendran accused the MVD of being slack in inspecting stage carriages contracted by educational institutions for student tours. He urged the government to compensate the victims, including the injured, and step up traffic enforcement to save lives on roads.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has promised assistance for the bereaved families and injured persons.
This year, an estimated 2,838 persons had died in road accidents in the State till August. Notably, pedestrians and two-wheeler riders comprised a disproportionately high number of accident victims.
An official said aggressive driving during the night when the roads are relatively empty was one primary reason for the rising number of accidents.
A traffic expert pointed out the growing number of vehicles in Kerala exceeds its available road space by at least 300%. Narrow and rain-wrecked potholed roads imperilled road safety.
So did haphazard parking, left-side overtaking, and vehicles lacking functional rear lamps, windscreen wipers and brake lights, he said.
He alleged that accident blackspot studies have largely remained on paper. Several winding roads had no guardrails. Most medians lacked reflectors. Traffic enforcement often came to a standstill after dark. If not addressed, the grim trend would likely continue, he added.
