Jamshedpur, March 31: The number of road accidents in the city has suddenly shot up, turning the roads scary. According to information, cases of accidents are on rise and in the first two months of the year 37 people have died in and around the steel city since the beginning of January 1. A total of 58 mishap cases have been reported while 35 persons were injured in January and February months.
Statistics available with the local transport department the maximum unnatural deaths occurring in the city are linked to road accidents.
The city has witnessed a sharp increase in the number of commuters and vehicles hitting the road. Bad roads, undulating and meandering stretches because of the basic geography of the region, lack of vigilance to check rash driving and the use of condemned vehicles as public transport add to the dangers.
According to information the number of fatal accidents is more on the 8-km stretch between Bistupur, Sakchi and Mango. Most fatal accidents occur between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. A majority of them (close to 50 per cent) involve pedestrians.
Concerned over the rash driving by the heavy vehicles and fatal mishaps taking place repeatedly in the city, district police also convened a meeting of the traffic police officials.
“Something has to be done to reduce the speed of vehicles near human habitations. There is no use in putting up boards showing speed limits or marking accident-prone zones. The road has not improved our lives beyond providing better connectivity,” said Mohammed Nizam of Mango.
“We will see to it that rash driving is checked with immediate effect, and for this, we will look into exactly how many cases related to the road accidents have been registered and if the drivers who are accused of causing the mishap are being convicted,” said M Tamil Vanan, SSP, East Singhbhum
The SSP revealed that he would make the traffic police officers and also those posted in the police stations across the steel city to ensure that drunk driving is checked completely by pressing the necessary testing equipment immediately after a mishap takes place.
Another senior police officer also pointed out that he was going to curtail the rash-driving by the two-wheelers, especially the youngsters. He said he would stress whether the investigation into the cases related to the road mishaps was being pursued properly or not.
In the face of stray incidents of crimes and riding road mishaps, the district police have launched a massive vehicle-checking drive in the city. The traffic police in cooperation with the local police, went on frisking two-wheeler riders for arms, checked triple-riding, helmets, drunk-driving, and driving licenses at the strategic locations across the city, including that of Bistupur, Mango, and Jugsalai.
