The speed limit imposed by the police inside Puducherry town and sub-urban areas for all classes of vehicles has gone for a toss with heavy vehicles, especially private buses, flouting the rules.
The Puducherry police have imposed maximum speed restrictions of 20 to 50 kmph for all classes of vehicles in the city and peripheries to curb over-speeding.
The recent death of R. Dhivya, a plus one student of a private school who was crushed to death by a speeding private bus at Mudaliarpet, has yet again brought to the fore the reckless driving by drivers of private buses resulting in increasing number of road accidents in Puducherry.
Dhivya was riding pillion with her father on a two-wheeler when the speeding bus knocked them down and ran over her. The girl died on the spot.
The accident assumes significance as the incident occurred on a busy stretch of road where clear speed restrictions are in place.
A week ago, G. Suguna, 19 was knocked down when a speeding bus rammed his two-wheeler near the Thavalakuppam junction.
In all these cases, the police registered a case under Section 279 (rash driving) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code.
An errant driver booked under these Sections can get imprisonment, which may extend to six months or with fine or both for the offences.
Rise in number of vehicles
The rise in the number of vehicles over the years has come to cause fear and insecurity among road users. Private buses crossing the speed limits and posing a threat to motorists and even pedestrians is a common sight.
Accidents on the Cuddalore and Villupuram road have claimed more than 50 lives in the last few years. Bad roads and reckless driving by drivers of private buses to keep time are the major reasons for the accidents.
Pachaiappan, a motorist, said that commuting on the Villupuram road was an unpleasant experience. Private buses rule the roads and there was no enforcement of law. “There is no sense of lane driving and heavy vehicles overtake smaller vehicles without waiting for them to switch lanes.”
‘Cut-throat competition’
A Transport Department official said on condition of anonymity that cut-throat competition among the crew of private buses to quickly reach their destinations was the major reason for the rise in accidents on the Cuddalore and Villupuram road.
For U. Gayathri Devi, an assistant professor of English in the Rajiv Gandhi Government Arts and Science College at Thavalakuppam on the Cuddalore Road, it is a nightmare to commute daily from her residence in the town to the college.
“I have to start 30 minutes in advance to reach college. The drivers drive mercilessly, throwing all rules to the winds. The drivers of private buses not only ply on the wrong side but blow air horns continuously and I am forced to drive my car to the edge of the road.”
“There should be a strict vigil on the part of the police to ensure that traffic rules are honoured by all, including private bus operators. Safety seems to be a charity to the students and senior citizens but regulation of traffic is the immediate and inevitable need of the hour,” says S. Nadarajan, a senior citizen.
Police to monitor speed
While appealing to motorists to adhere to the limits, the police said that all vehicles would be monitored by speed laser gun and interceptor vehicle of the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) and violators would be prosecuted under law.
According to a Transport department official, buses plying on the Puducherry-Cuddalore road and Puducherry-Villupuram road are required to cover the distance in 45 minutes and 60 minutes respectively. But the buses cover the stretch within 35 minutes and 50 minutes respectively and skip all the points in between to reach ahead of time.
When contacted Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Rahul Alwal said that the Police Department had launched a crackdown on speeding private buses. It had also taken note of the numbers and written to the Transport Department to cancel their licences.
The police have deployed an interceptor vehicle provided by the IRTE on selective road stretches and highways and rural roads to monitor over-speeding. The department is now in the process of procuring an additional Interceptor vehicle fully equipped with sophisticated enforcement and surveillance under the Road Safety Funds.
The government has already given the approval for the vehicle and the police department is in the process of tendering. The vehicle will be deployed on the Cuddalore and Villupuram road, he said.
