The Ministry of Railways has announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs. 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, Rs. 1 lakh to the grievously injured and Rs. 20,000 to those who sustained injuries in the accident at an unmanned level-crossing (UMLC) in Medak district on Thursday.
In the wake of the tragic incident, the South Central Railway has made a fervent appeal to road users to be cautious and follow the ‘Stop, Look, Proceed’ rule. At the said level-crossing, the traffic density was less, with the number of traffic vehicle units (a multiple of number of road vehicle units and number of trains per day) recorded at 4,650 a day in the last census of November, 2011.
Visibility for the road user, an official release said, was clear on both directions and the necessary safety infrastructure like warning boards, rumble strip, proper approach roads, stop board and whistle boards were also available.
According to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, every vehicle driver was to stop at a level-crossing, ensure that no train or trolley was approaching on either side and only then cross the track. As Section 161 of The Railways Act, 1989, if any person driving a vehicle was negligent while crossing a UMLC, he or she could be punished with imprisonment of up to one year.
