Mining takes toll on road safety

JHARSUGUDA: As many as 108 persons died in road mishaps in the mining and industrial district of Jharsuguda last year, but that has failed to make the administration sit up.Road safety measures seem to be the last thing on the administration’s mind and lack of enforcement has only aggravated the situation. Officially, the district last year reported 108 deaths from 261 road  accidents with 124 persons sustaining critical injuries and 161 more injured. Several reasons have been attributed to the rise in road mishaps, the primary being  lack of trained drivers for heavy vehicles. Last year 12,393 vehicles were registered and as many as 11,578 driving licences (DLs) issued by the local transport regulatory authorities. The transport authorities are increasingly accused of issuing DLs to undeserving persons in scant regard to rules. Through agents, illiterate and under-aged also manage to get DLs to drive heavy vehicles by bribing transport officials. However, Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Diwakar Singh denied the charges saying more strict checks would be made. He has asked the district administration to allot a suitable space to regularly conduct driving tests.Sources said a majority of heavy vehicles, driven by untrained drivers, rule the roads as MCL mines daily witness movement of nearly 8,000 vehicles putting occupants of lighter vehicles to perpetual life risk. Adding to the risks is the fact that the traffic management system is virtually going to the dogs. The traffic wing is managed by only six personnel and assisted by Home Guards. The Belpahar level-crossing, Gandhi Chowk at Brajrajnagar, BTM bypass and Biju Chowk at Barmal are considered virtual death-traps for commuters. Jharsuguda SP KS Kawar admitted to the constraints in traffic management. He said more traffic personnel are needed. He, however, asserted that to ensure road safety, stern action against road rule violators would be taken. Kawar also insisted on widespread awareness and infusing sense of road safety among the people to prevent mishaps.