Kulwant SarangalThe issue of safety on roads and highways has once again come to the fore following the death of industrialist Cyrus Mistry in an accident in Palghar district earlier this month. Kulwant Sarangal, additional director general of police, highway traffic and law and order, speaks about the steps his department is taking to improve road safety on the state’s highways.
What is status of Cyrus Mistry case? What have you found in your investigations so far?
The investigation is under progress. We still need to speak to the lady who was driving the vehicle to get a complete picture of what transpired. Our probe so far suggests that at the time of impact, the speed of the car was around 89 kms per hour. This has been confirmed as per the data recorder, which is an integral part of the vehicle that has been driven. We are also investigating whether the transition of the road from a three-lane to a two-lane road played a part in the accident. Issues like whether there was a road design flaw that led to the accident are also being investigated. However, at this point of time, we can’t authenticate these issues as experts are still examining various factors that could have played a role in the accident. To comment on what exactly happened would not be proper right now as the investigations are still on.
Was the place where the accident occurred a black spot and an accident-prone location?
No, it was not a black spot or an accident prone area. This is the only accident in the last one year that has occurred at the spot. We don’t have any record of accidents happening on that particular spot.
Are you proposing to declare this stretch as a black spot? What are the parameters for declaring a stretch as a black spot?
As per the laid-down rule, an accident black spot is a road corridor about 500 m long on which either five road accidents, involving fatalities and grievous injuries, had been reported during the last three calendar years or 10 fatalities during the last three years. So, until these criteria are met, we can’t declare the area as a black spot.
Overspeeding on highways is a big issue. How are you dealing with violators?
Overspeeding is a cause of concern and one of the reasons for accidents. Tackling speeding on highways is a challenge. If a motorist is going on a highway at 150 kmph and is violating the speed limit norm, then stopping a vehicle in the middle of the highway is a problem. Presently, we are deploying speed guns. We randomly park our vehicles on the highway to capture data of overspeeding vehicles. We then send them notices at their residence fining them. While the recovery rate of these fines is less, things are improving and people do think twice about violating the speed norms.
The recent accident of Cyrus Mistry has brought to the fore the issue of the usage of seat belts on rear seats. What is your perspective on this issue and is there a proposal to make their usage compulsory in Maharashtra?
There are 2 crore cases of violations per year. These are for all kinds of violations including not wearing seatbelt and helmet as well as overspeeding. We issue challans to all violators. We are already issuing challans if we find passengers not wearing seat belts whether it is on the front seat or back seat. But enforcement has its own limitations. There is also a need for behavioural change which takes time. If a car owner has invested money to incorporate certain features in their car, they should also use them. Accidents will happen, we can’t eliminate them all together. But we have reduced the fatalities and severity of injuries by following safety rules like wearing helmets and belts.
Do you think there is a need to review the way people who violate traffic rules get fined? Also, do you think the existing e-challan system is effective?
The e-challan system is an effective system. However, we are facing some issues with regard to recovery of the fines imposed. We are imposing fines of about Rs 800 crore every year and our recovery rate is about 35-40 per cent. To improve this, we are taking recourse through Lok Adalats. We have five Lok Adalats which have recovered almost Rs 230 crore this year. No other state in the country has implemented such a system as of now. It is a very effective system but as all systems go, it needs to be fine-tuned further.
Do you think that your staff is adequately trained in handling exigencies of changing times?
Training is happening at multiple levels and our staff is well trained to handle the needs of their work as well as emergencies. We are, however, planning to impart specialised training in traffic management at one of our police training schools. This will be in addition to a similar school we have in Byculla.
What is the status of the Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD) pilot project that was launched in Maharashtra in 2019?
The project was meant to collect data and analyse the reasons for accidents that take place. Presently, it is being used to analyse accident-prone spots and to formulate strategies to prevent accidents from taking place at these places. As of now, Maharashtra has around 1,004 black spots. Out of these, 610 are on national highways, 202 on state highways while the rest are district highways.
The threat of communal violence looms in various parts of the state. Is the police force equipped to handle these incidents?
If you look at the last three to four months, such instances have not taken place in the state. We have taken adequate preventive measures and are alert in handling these issues. We have people who keep monitoring such instances on social media platforms and keep writing to these companies to take down offensive content. Our community outreach and interactive skills with people has also played a part in ensuring that peace is maintained in the state.