Jamshedpur : The state home department would soon give go-ahead to the plan conceived by the East Singhbhum police to check fatal road accidents on the busy street roads. Aimed at checking the vehicles speed limit, in accordance with the recommended permissible limit at specific areas, the police have drafted a proposal for area wise speed limit.
The proposal sent to the state home department for the approval would get the nod soon, informed the traffic department. Once, this proposal is put into action the vehicular movement in the city would vary from area to area. For example, vehicles passing through Bistupur and Sakchi main road couldn�t drive beyond max speed of 20/kmph while on the Kadma-Sakchi straight mile road the pace could reach 40/kmph.
�The speed limit survey conducted by the traffic department in different areas particularly, in the accident prone areas, recommended the varied speed limit for different areas,� said a police official.
The traffic department jointly with few select non government outfits actively involved in running a sustained road safety campaign had carried out comprehensive study of the areas vulnerable to road accidents and subsequent to it area specific varied speed limit of the traffic has been recommended.
Bhuyandih more on Bhuyandih-Agrico road Hati-Ghora crossing on Pipeline road, Beldih school crossing on Bistupur-Sonari link, Jugsalai police station site on Bistupur-Jugsalai road, R D Tata technical education center on Sakchi-Golmuri road, Bistupur goalchakar (roundabout) on Bistupur-Sakchi link, among other, have been identified as danger zones by the survey team.
Equipped with sophisticated speed limit gadget, the traffic police are keen to see the new area specific speed limit system come into operation at the earliest. �The purpose is to prevent potential loss of limbs and lives by introducing the new system so we are keen to have it in place, soon,� said a traffic sub-inspector of Bistupur police station.
Annually, more than thousand road accidents are reported in the district with daily average being four to five.
�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.