Two persons die on Bangalore roads everyday

Two persons die on Bangalore roads everyday
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: There has been a spurt in road accidents in the city while the number of vehicles plying on the roads has increased considerably.

According to police, every day, on an average, two people succumbed in road accidents. And, also nearly 8,000 to 9,000 road accidents occur every year. Police attribute this to the increasing number of vehicles plying on the city roads and to the lack of traffic sense among motorists.

Over the past two decades, Bangalore has witnessed a phenomenal increase in the number of vehicles. Now it has 18 lakh vehicles on its roads and there is, on an average, an increase of one-lakh vehicles every year, police said.

Though the number of vehicles in the city is increasing alarmingly, the road length remains almost the same. ‘‘I blame BCC for this. It has failed to improve infrastructure facilities. Most of the accidents occur due to pathetic and pot-holed roads,’’ Satish, a motorist, complains.

BCC also has not taken enough care to mark road humps, dividers and roadblocks. These are small things that the BCC ought to take to prevent road mishaps in the city, he said.

On the flipside, authorities (police) point fingers at the growing urbanisation of Bangalore and indiscipline among the motorists for the chaotic traffic system and accidents.

Police also blame motorists for rash and irresponsible driving. Motorists, on most of the occasions commit mistakes due to physical and mental stress, which make them to violate the traffic rules, police contend. Another major problem faced by the police in streamlining the city’s traffic is of the shortage of manpower. They say they do not have sufficient manpower to check Bangalore’s growing traffic and are managing with half the force.