Jamshedpur : Concerned over increasing number of fatal road mishaps, the district police have decided to introduce area-wise speed limit regulations across the city soon.
Moreover as per the directive, heavy vehicles could enter city between 11 pm to 6 am. There were certain relaxations for vehicles carrying goods for industries on specific routes.
Heavy vehicles can enter city through Mango bridge using Dimna Road and move towards Bhuiyandih, Golmuri roundabout and Burmamines and Telco between 10 am and 12 noon. While heavy vehicles can leave city between 3 pm and 5 pm on the same route through Mango bridge using Dimna Road.
The administration has also strictly restricted speed limit of commercial vehicles at 20 kph in city areas and warned of prosecution of Rs 1000 (as per MV Act) for heavy vehicles parked illegally leading to traffic congestion.
Senior superintendent of police, Amol V Homkar said that the traffic wing of the district police has conducted a survey of different areas keeping in view the vehicular traffic and busy hours.
“We have conducted a comprehensive survey of the entire city recently. Based on the area-wise survey report, we have fixed the speed limits. A proposal accompanied the survey report has been sent to the Home Department,� said another official.
He said that a roadmap of the city has been made, and the speed-limits have been fixed for a specific road and even specific stretches.
According to information the vehicles passing through market areas in Bistupur and Sakchi must drive at a maximum speed of 20 Kmph. Similarly, maximum speed limit for the vehicles plying on the Straight Mile Road must not be more than 40 kilometres per hour, and the vehicles passing through the schools from a specific point to another point must not be more than 15 kilometres per hours.
Speaking about the speed-limit method that the district police introduced, he said that the steel city has a number of accident-prone areas which have been taken care of specially. Like the points along the Fire Temple on the Straight Mile Road, Hati-Ghora Temple on Pipeline Road, Bistupur-Jugsalai road near the Jugsalai police station, Sonari-Bistupur road near the Beldih crossing, Bhuiyandih-Agrico Road at Bhuiyandih, Golmuri-Burmamines Road near RD Tata Technical Training Centre and Ring Road in Telco are earmarked as accident prone.
�The traffic police have been enforcing the law with a firm hand. But there is no respite to the increasing number of accidents. At the same time most of the city roads are narrow. Some are uneven and with curves. And most of the roadsides are thickly vegetated hampering the vision of road users,� said Prakash Sharma, a social worker.
He went on to add that interference of politicians in releasing those nabbed for driving without valid licenses and drunken driving and density of population also add to the rise in number of accidents.
�I think roads need widening. Proper markings should be made on all existing roads. Authorities such as Department of Public Works should concentrate more on safety aspects,� said an official of Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry.