Pune only city to fare worse in 2017

PUNE: The city registered a 9.59% increase in the number of road accidents in 2017 over the previous year. While every other city in the state managed to make its roads safer in 2017 as against 2016, Pune was the only one where the number of accidents had gone up.Puneites can draw some solace from the fact that the number of fatalities in these accidents declined by 9%, though the number of injuries increased by 11.39%. Moreover, the rise in the number of accidents in Pune comes after a declining trend seen over three successive years from 2013 to 2016.The rise in the number of road accidents in the city is fuelled by rash and negligent driving as well as overspeeding. The increasing number of vehicles and the corresponding poor road infrastructure, along with the growing tendency among motorists to violate traffic rules, are seen as the other contributing factors.District- and city-wise statistics released by the office of the additional commissioner of police (traffic), Fort, Mumbai, showed that Pune was the only city among the nine police commissionerates in the state where the number of accidents has increased. The remaining eight cities, including Nashik, Mumbai and Aurangabad, have shown a decline over the last two years. Nashik, in fact, registered the biggest drop (39%) in the number of accidents in 2017 as compared to the previous year.Senior police officials, however, pointed out that barring Mumbai city, the Pune police commissionerate, which is spread over a vast 730 sq km area, has a much larger jurisdiction compared to other cities. Pune has also witnessed an unprecedented growth in the construction and industrial sectors. This has resulted in greater movement of heavy vehicles, including earthmovers and multi-axle vehicles, on the roads. Moreover, five major highways connecting Mumbai, Satara, Solapur, Ahmednagar and Nashik pass through the city.Deputy commissioner of police Ashok Morale , who heads the city traffic branch, said, “The fatalities in road accidents have gone down. The rise in the number of accidents resulting in injuries can be attributed to a general indiscipline among vehicle users, including disregard for traffic rules and violations such as wrong-side driving, drunk driving, reckless and highspeed driving, triple riding, helmetless riding, jumping traffic signals and driving on pedestrian ways.”A coordinated effort — involving agencies such as the National Highways Authority of India, Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations and the local self-governing bodies like zilla parishads and gram panchayats — towards improving road infrastructure is also needed, he said. “We have identified 36 spots in the city, where more than three fatalities have occurred, as accident-prone spots. We have taken up the issue of remedial measures such as better signages, speedbreakers, ground- and slope-levelling, covering potholes and addressing sharp turns with the NHAI and civic authorities,” Morale said.An enhanced focus has been placed on stricter enforcement of traffic rules, particularly registration of rash driving cases and educating people about the need to follow traffic rules, he said.(Pune Rural)The Pune rural police, which covers the entire district barring Pune city, has also shown a 4.92% increase in the number of accidents in 2017 as compared to 2016. Pune rural falls under the Kolhapur range covering Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur and Solapur (rural), where road accidents have gone down.Suvez Haque, superintendent of Pune rural police, said there are diversions at several places on the highways because of the ongoing road development works and high-speed driving is a major issue. The number of vehicles, particularly multi-axle vehicles and container trucks, plying on the highways has also gone up. Industrial expansion has brought in more vehicles on the roads.Haque said, “We have identified certain spots that are prone to bottlenecks and accidents and have taken up with the NHAI, PWD and other authorities the issue of improving this spots and provide better road infrastructure. The police can provide manpower for manning traffic and take action against the violators besides creating awareness. However, the road infrastructure has to be improved by the agencies concerned.”Mumbai, Thane, Aurangabad, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Amravati, Nagpur and Solapur, all having police commissionerates, have shown a decline in the number of road accidents.