During the ongoing National Road Safety Week organized by the Chandigarh Administration under the auspices of the Chandigarh Traffic Police, Former MP Pawan Kumar Bansal has highlighted crucial issues related to road safety. Bansal noted that the administration’s efforts, such as placing stickers/reflectors on cycle rickshaws, conducting seminars in schools and children’s traffic parks, and making announcements in city markets, have not curtailed the rising number of road accidents. He attributed this failure to the inadequate infrastructure for road safety.
Bansal underscored the need for the administration to prioritize periodic road resurfacing, installation of pelican lights at traffic signals for the convenience of elderly and children, well-lit cycle tracks, and enhanced assistance from traffic police. Contrary to these essential measures, the Chandigarh administration is currently constructing large table-top structures on various roads in the city, causing inconvenience to the public with no apparent future benefits. It is noteworthy that, as per the “Road Accidents in India 2022” report, Chandigarh ranks fifth in accidents among all union territories. In 2022, 83 individuals lost their lives in road accidents in Chandigarh, with 203 sustaining injuries in 237 road accidents.
This is lamentable for a modern city like Chandigarh. While various measures can be implemented for road safety, it appears that the administration is content with fulfilling its responsibilities solely during Road Safety Week. Overall, substantial improvements in road engineering quality and strict adherence to traffic rules are crucial for significantly reducing road accidents.”
