हमारे लक्ष्य:
१ प्रत्येक रोगी को पक्षपात-रहित सेवा
२ आचरण में पारदर्शिता
३ सर्वोत्तम सेवा के आदर्श
४ सर्वदा उत्तर्दायित्त्वता का पालन
५ गरीब से गरीब रोगी को उपचार का अधिकार
६ सदैव आधुनिक ज्ञान तथा तकनिकी प्रगति से परिचय का वादा
७ मिल-जुलकर कम करने की प्रवृत्ति

As INCORRIGIBLE as... Delhi Traffic

Blue Line killers and road rage on Delhi roads are only a small part of several important yet neglected factors which significantly contribute to the rise in road traffic accidents. Sustained administrative failure to recognize and rectify these issues lead to avoidable loss of life and limb. Some of them could also equally contribute to rise and non-detection of other criminal activities.

Speeding, rash driving, chaotic traffic pattern, and an alarming space-volume mismatch are not the only causes of mishaps. Here are some of the realistic mechanisms leading to road accidents. These are by and large ignored on account of sheer ignorance or failed appreciation of their impact:


a) DAZZLING LIGHTS AFTER SUNDOWN:

* Driving with headlights set at high beam has a blinding effect on the drivers of vehicles coming from opposite directions.

* High beam headlights reflecting from the rear-view mirror or side-view mirror can also have a blinding effect on the driver of the vehicle just ahead.

* Such blinding effect is often responsible for hit and run accidents with pedestrians as victims. Unfortunately, this fact is rarely recognised by the road users of Delhi.

* The dazzling effect is further accentuated with halogen lamps and/or accessory fog lights which are mostly used for showing off than out of necessity.


In this connection I have gathered some representative data which indicates the magnitude of this problem:

* Out of a total of nearly 2000 cars seen after sundown on Copernicus Marg, a moderately busy road without any central verge, 1643(82.2%) were driving with high-beam on. The situation is equally bad on all roads sans a central verge. Oncoming opposite traffic with dazzling headlights on unlit (a very common feature in Delhi) actually can trigger the hitting of the central verge or railings. Such accidents happen every day in dozens, but go unreported except when there is injury or death.

Driving with dazzling lights is prohibited under section 112 (Rule 4) of the Delhi Motor Vehicles Rule 1993 but some of the worst offenders are police vehicles.

(b) TAIL-LIGHTS / REFLECTORS

* The absence of visible tail lights and/or luminiscent reflectors on the vehicle driving ahead can be a major cause of accidents, especially during rains, foggy conditions or when street-lights fail.

* I a survey, out of a total of nearly 400 lorries/trucks plying after 10 PM south of Pragati Maidan, as many as 178(44.5%) had neither tail-lights nor functioning reflectors.

Even many cranes deployed by the Traffic Police for towing away unauthorized vehicles do not have these safety provisions.

* Virtually none of the cycle rickshaws plying in the walled city, and the majority of bicycles plying in Delhi and New Delhi do not have reflectors or even a white band in the rear to assist visibility from a distance. This makes them vulnerable targets at night.

Non-motorised vehicles like cycle rickshaws, bicycles, cycle carts etc. are not covered under the purview of any Motor Vehicles Act. However, for the sake of the safety of human life, necessary steps need to be taken by the appropriate authorities.

Lack of reflectors/illuminated bollards at the end of road dividers, specially on flyovers, roads under construction (best example HCBS contruction) are open invitations for accidents to happen.

c). DRIVING BY MINORS :

* According to Section 4 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, minors (Persons below 18 years of age) cannot be issued a licence to drive a motorised vehicle, there being a relaxation of 2 years for driving 50cc vehicles.

* Unfortunately, every day one finds children driving scooters, motor bikes and cars, often under the very eyes of guardians of the law who turn a blind eye to such violations.

* In reality, driving by such individuals constitutes a potential hazard to them as well as to other road users.

* It has frequently been observed that small children with prodigal driving skill are projected by the media with much fanfare. Such publicity promotes and encourages the violation of law and needs to be legally banned.

(d) NON-FUNCTIONING TRAFFIC LIGHTS :

* Nonfunctioning of traffic light due to power failure lead to chaos at crossings which carry a high volume of traffic especially after sundown. It is suggested that all traffic intersection lights be provided with a solar battery back up.

(e) HELMETS :

* In spite of court orders, the failure to wear helmets by two-wheeler riders is perhaps the most widely and blatantly committed life-threatening road offence today.

* People set out with impunity on two wheelers without wearing helmets even on main streets. Some carry the helmet only to use it to hoodwink the police while approaching intersections where police personnel are likely to be present.

* Frequently people ride their two wheelers without helmets on major roads but PCR van, motorcycle patrol and even Traffic Police gypsy personnel do not bother to book them. Every morning one finds senior traffic officers being ferried to their office in gypsies who turn a blind eye to scores of such traffic violations happening around them. It is the unfortunate outcome of watertight domain allotted to the traffic police who alone are empowered to challenge and challan the offenders.

* Unfortunately, our brethren in the police force do not realise that their lives are extremely precious to us. Policemen are the worst offenders in riding without helmets.

* In the interest of minimising risk to human life, this issue needs fresh thinking.

(f) Delhiites don’t know how to turn right :

One of the most dangerous aspects of the already infamous driving habits of Delhi road users is their unrestricted tendency to negotiate a right turn even at blind road bends along the extreme right side of the road. This makes them extremely vulnerable to collision with a vehicle attempting a left turn onto this road. This necessitates adequate traffic education.

(g) Bus Stop halts :

The recent blue line accident at Badarpur is no freak incident. Day in and day out, public buses (including regular DTC ones) halt at a distance of anywhere between 2 and 6 metres away from the footpath. This blocks oncoming traffic from behind and creates bottlenecks. Attempts to overtake such vehicles from the left can any time crush alighting passengers.

Has any one ever seen such drivers being prosecuted ?



(h) REGISTRATION STATUS OF VEHICLES PLYING ON DELHI ROADS :

* This is perhaps the weakest link in our traffic management system. At present, any vehicle can be involved in a traffic offence, or more serious crime like robbery, kidnapping, smuggling, rape etc and easily escape even in the presence of eyewitnesses.. The reason is extreme laxity in the enforcement of existent rules regarding registration of vehicles.

* The ability of passers-by to take down the number of an offending vehicles escaping the site of crime requires readability of the rear number-plate at a distance of at least 8 to 10 metres (and beyond). This necessitates an intact number-plate with clearly written letters and figures in the prescribed colour combination. These must be consonance with the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 Sections 43,47,49,50 and Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules 1993 sections 39,40,44 etc.

Here is statistical data based on observation of over 20,000 vehicles, of different varieties, on the road as well as various parking lots:

* Out of these 20,000 vehicles (two wheelers, cars, vans, tempos, commercial 3-wheelers),

* Non-Readability of Rear number plate at even 8 to10 metres : 4426 vehicles (22.1%).

* Blank number plates : 118 (0.59%).

* Broken number plates or with missing letters or figures 1226 (6.13%).

* Use of designs, colour combinations, atterns, letter sizes, language, fonts which are obviously aimed at making the number unreadable : 2849 vehicles (14.2%).
These include : use of bar-code like design with the number at the bottom in miniaturized letters , grey lettering unreadable at night even under bright light , using incomplete numbers particularly not printing the left sided zeroes eg., 0001 is shown as just 1 or as ...1 , brass lettering discoloured beyond decipher etc.

* Certain numbers are deliberately modified to evade readability.

* Cars with TEMPORARY registration such as HR 99 series:
989 vehicles (4.9%).

* Obviously most of these vehicles belong to residents of Delhi who have not complied with Section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 which necessitates that when Vehicle registered in one state has been kept in another for over 12 months, a new registration mark should be sought. This also encourages out of state robbers and criminals to operate in Delhi

* Vehicles with Applied For signs in violation of Section 39 of the Motors Vehicles Act, 1988 : 16 vehicles (0.8%).


(i) Zero Tolerance Zone

The Delhi Police have certain roads as “Zero Tolerance Zone”. This gives a very wrong message to irresponsible road users. Every street must be a zero tolerance area.

What Delhi Traffic Police thoroughly lack are a Genuine and Honest desire to improve traffic and Basic understanding of the psyche of the road user. As a citizen and a doctor, I am committed to the safety of fellow road users. If I am given a chance to help in traffic planning, it is guaranteed that within six months, there will be more sanity on Delhi roads than what has been achieved in sixty years.