CHENNAI: Figures released by Greater Chennai Traffic police show that 21 lakh cases were registered in connection with traffic violations in the city and a total penalty of Rs 14 crore was collected in 2011. The statistics also reveal that while overall accidents decreased by 0.5 per cent, fatalities rose by three per cent compared to the previous year.
Pointing to stricter enforcement of traffic laws, the data shows a significant increase in the number of cases registered in 2011 — 21 lakh — as compared to about 12 lakh cases in 2010 and 11 lakh in 2009. The fine collected — Rs 14 crore — also shot up by more than Rs 4.5 crore compared to Rs 9.44 crore in 2010 and Rs 9.07 crore in 2009.
While it is heartening that there is a marginal decrease in the number of accidents — 8,198 in 2011 compared to 8,234 in 2010 — what is of concern is the increase in the number of fatalities which is up by three per cent from 1,457 to 1,504, a majority of them caused by two-wheelers.
According to Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Sanjay Arora, two-wheelers caused 25 per cent of the fatal accidents, killing 370 persons of the total 1,504. Among the four-wheelers, trucks emerged as the main killer vehicles, mowing down 270 victims, followed by cars which killed 160 victims. As many as 122 persons were fatally knocked down by Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses.
A major area of concern for the traffic police would be the drastic increase in the number of hit-and-run cases, which shot up from 12 per cent in 2010 to 17 per cent (263 persons) in 2011. The data also shows that 57 per cent of the total number of accidents occurred between 6 pm and 6 am.
Among the victims, pedestrians topped the list, their numbers hovering around 260. “About 50 per cent of them were above the age of 50,” Arora said adding that the major factors that contributed to pedestrian fatalities were unmanned traffic junctions and non-use of subways and footbridges. There were 1,000 traffic junctions in the city of which 600 were unmanned due to shortage of traffic police personnel. More importantly, the reluctance of pedestrians to use subways and footbridges resulted in several deaths.
Citing a case, he said after a pedestrian was killed while crossing Taluk Office Road at Little Mount two years ago, there was a clamour for a footbridge. When it came up, questions were raised about the need for a traffic lights at the junction and they were removed. About two months ago, residents blocked traffic for four hours, demanding the restoration of the traffic signal. “Can’t they cross the road safely by climbing a few steps,” he said.
Comments
0 comment