Haryana govt sets ambitious goal to reduce road accidents by 50%

Gururgam: Under vison zero, the Haryana government has set an ambitious target of reducing the number of road accidents by 50 percent. For this purpose, authorities here have begun taking steps and identifying dark spots in the city. According to an official survey, 75 percent of road accidents happen on national and state highways. The recent accident where a dumper rammed into an auto and killed five people was just a stark reminder of the challenges that lie in front of the authorities in dealing with such tragic mishaps.

Despite 2,000 police officials being deployed on city roads to maintain safety and security of residents, the challenge remains with 1,075 road accidents being reported in 2018 alone, leading to 442 deaths. Even though the data was alarming, the figure was considerably lower than 2017, where a total of 1,400 road accidents had claimed 481 lives.

According to officials, 17 dark spots have been identified by the Gurugram Traffic Police. These stretches are main routes that extend beyond Kherki Dhaual and include areas like Daruhera and Manesar. Besides, fast-moving vehicles which clock an average speed of up to 100 to 120 km/hour and the presence of heavy vehicles make this route treacherous for commuters.

It is estimated that two out of three accidents on the Delhi-Jaipur highway is caused by heavy vehicles. Various studies that have been conducted on the drivers have revealed that more than 50 percent of the truck drivers had poor eyesight. In what can be considered as one of the first strategic planning initiatives for an Indian metropolis, a Common Mobility Plan (CMP) has been put down for Gurugram.

The CMP will be devised by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority in collaboration with the School of Planning andAarchitecture (SPA). The CMP promises to be the most authoritative survey on Gurugram's traffic challenges since 2009, when a similar study was conducted by Wilbur Smith Associates. So far, efforts to improve mobility in Gurugram have focused mainly on conditions of vehicular traffic and the CMP is expected to rectify this approach.

According to an official, only 25 percent of the primary road network in Gurugram has usable pavements at the moment, which adversely affects the common man who does not rely on cars. At the moment, Gurugram has focused mainly on conditions of vehicular traffic and the CMP is expected to rectify this approach.