Fatal road accidents happen in Kashmir on a quotidian basis- almost every day or every alternate day, there is news of fatalities on our roads. Road accidents, it would not be an exaggeration to state, have become a trend. However, these fatalities neither appear to bother authorities here nor much attention is devoted to prevent and pre-empt thee unnecessary accidents. This is a travesty-because of the loss of life and because if left unattended, we will encounter more fatalities on the roads. The need of the hour then is to take serious note of the increasing number of accidents in the vale. A useful starting point for devising a road safety plan would be to understand the nature of the problem and then devise appropriate policy interventions.
Road accidents are usually caused by human error , ignorance and negligence. However, in Kashmir, this is not the only problem. Here other extraneous factors like poor road density, poor road design and how link roads feed into main roads are also factors that are culpable. There is also a supply side issue involved. Owing to general prosperity and easily available consumer finance, cars are increasingly affordable to the middle classes; ever increasing supply of cars and their use compounds the problem by laying stress on the creaky road infrastructure of the vale. This is a stage, almost set for accidents, so to speak. Overlaying all this is the capability and capacity of the Traffic Police department. The people to traffic police ratio is meager in the state. This means traffic discipline is contingent on the discretion of motorists, commuters and pedestrians. Moreover, the poor capacity of the traffic department means that whenever an accident occurs, the nature of the intervention by the department is poor, haphazard and spur of the moment. All these reasons add up to create roads and traffic hazardous and perilous.
What can be done to improve this condition?
First, let us consider the human error , negligence and ignorance aspects. Potential as well as existing motorists need to be educated about road safety, proper driving and the pitfalls of reckless driving. This can be done by devising a watertight licensing system wherein licenses can only be granted after vigorous tests and examinations. The aim should be to sensitive people to prudent and safe driving practices. The licenses should be based , as in Western countries, on a point based system wherein points on a certain scale should be discounted after a traffic violation and depending upon the intensity of the violation. After a certain threshold of violations is reached, the license should be abrogated , fines imposed and a driving moratorium imposed.
Second, while nothing substantive can be really done about our urban infrastructure given legacy issues and the improbability of urban redesign, however, our public and private transportation systems can be improved. A city, it is said, is as good as its transportation system. Our urban , sub urban and rural transportation system is ill designed, haphazard and at times downright irrational. An integrated, efficient , effective and even equitable transportation system can be developed that alleviates stress on roads and what have you.
Third, the traffic department must the strengthened and its capacity and capability augmented. An important component of this capacity and capability augmentation must be a prudent and practical traffic personnel to people ratio and effective and efficient intervention capability after accidents occur.
Last, while the authorities can create a context for safe traffic and pedestrian conditions, it is also upto the people to respect rules and drive safely. Public spaces-especially roads- from a sociological perspective are domains where power is equalized between people. And we bring our respective personalities to bear upon this. Road rages, bad driving- overtaking, undertaking, bad parking and other related themes accrue from this. Here, people must besides respecting rules must develop and cultivate sense and sensibility that is premised on respect, tolerance, patience and prudence.
In combination, the application of these policy prescriptions can lead to outcomes where the incidence and prevalence of road accidents and fatalities thereof can be reduced to a great extent. However, as is the norm in Kashmir, while prudent policy prescriptions may be available, it is will and determination to implement and execute that is invariably missing. Alas!
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