Spurt in road accidents

By S. Shivakumar

CHENNAI, SEPT. 5. Four persons including a student were killed in three road accidents, one at Guindy another at Meenambakkam and the third one at K.K. Nagar, once again turning the spotlight on the dangers faced from road users by fast moving vehicles.

At Meenambakkam, Shanmugam (43) and Karthik (20) of Hastinapuram in Chromepet, working in a private firm at Egmore were killed while going to work on a two-wheeler. While proceeding on the GST Road near the Meenambakkam airport they were hit by a State Transport Corporation bus from behind and fatally run over. The bus was coming to the city from Shencottah.

In the other accident, a school student, Thiagarajan (16) of Kesava Perumal Temple Street, Adyar was fatally knocked down by a lorry on Thiru Vi Ka Bridge in Guindy when going to school on a cycle.

In the third accident involving a scooter and a container lorry, both travelling in the north-south direction near the K.K. Nagar RTO, K. Balasubramaniam (21), a final year B.Tech. student from MIT, Chromepet died on the spot. The accident occurred at around 9-40 p.m. on Wednesday.

The Meenambakkam accident which has occurred close on the heels of the death of the St. Thomas Mount, TMC woman councillor, has exposed the threat faced by road users on the outskirts. The victim was killed when she was travelling on the pillion of a two-wheeler at Pallikaranai.

Despite the spurt in road accidents in the city and outskirts the authorities have failed to bring out a comprehensive plan for reducing road fatalities. ``There is an urgent need to discipline drivers of big vehicles. Educating them and booking them alone is not sufficient'', points out a traffic planner.

Though studies have proved that most road accidents were being caused by rash and negligent driving very little has been done to discipline drivers.

During the last week out of the roughly 100 accidents reported in the city which claimed ten lives, lorries, vans and MTC buses were involved in 50 per cent of the mishaps. On the outskirts, the three arterial road - GST Road, GNT Road and EVR Salai - have alone accounted for seven deaths during the past fortnight alone.

For two-wheeler riders and car drivers it is a nightmarish experience while going to the airport during the night hours. Most of the drivers of bigger vehicles are found speeding with dazzling lights.

With most illegal bars attached to wine shops doing brisk business during the evening hours, the problem posed by drunken driving adds to the agony of motorists during the night hours.

Despite repeated warnings and assurance by senior police officials there is no visible change on the road.

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