Train Accidents in India becoming as common as Road Accidents – Need Holistic Transport Solution

Train Accidents in India are starting to happen with surprising regularity with hardly a month passing by without a major collision or accident. Small accidents seem to be happening every day with news report of a collision not generating any mindshare these days. Road Accidents in India too happen with great regulatiry with some estimates of 1000 Road Deaths happening in India every day . This is due to government and people apathy towards safety regulation and following of laws and norms. It is just not resticted to trains but encompasses the entire system such as fire safety etc. Without a major change in the people attitude towards safety regulation expect such accident and waste of human life will continue to happen.

What is needed is a more holistic solution to the whole transportation mess with more emphasis on

a) Public Transport which is cheap, easily available and comfortable. India can’t follow the US based car focused transportation policy

b) Safety Enforcment – Strict action against people erring . Currently only a $3-4 fine does not deter people from breaking laws

c) Investment  – The use of more safety equipment on Trains has been talked for long with anti collision devices etc. However nothing has come out of it with only more Trains being announced

India’s Transport Policy or Lack of One  makes you think that it is heading towards disaster both from the view of  pollution and congestion.India’s growing middle and upper class is rapidly buying cars while India’s road network barely increases and the current transport network is groaning under the strains already.Indian cities have become a veritable sea of cars chaotically congested and barely moving.There is  no coherent transport policy as India’s per capita income grows and it moves beyond hand pulled carts.While there is huge innovation on the private front with India’s domestic Tata Motors company launching a $2500 car ,the public front is still frozen.

Congestion Reaches New Heights

Traffic Congestion and Jams have become so frequent that it seems that they are a constant feature.Traveling in Indian cities has become a nightmare especially if you are thinking of traveling during peak office hours.Here are some of the regular problems arising from these congestion.Note these don’t apply to India’s business and political elite as the police clear roads during their  sojourns in the cities.It is only applicable to the common man.

1) People dying in ambulances – With miles of traffic jams,its almost impossible for ambulances to navigate a way leaing to hours long journeys.People dying in traffic jams has become a regular feature,so if you stay in India and are not part of the society elite,try and stay near a hospital.Your life may depend on it

2) Road Rage – This has become a frequent occurrence too with people getting irrationally angry and irritated during jams.This has increased incidences of road rage which frequently leads to killings.

3) Missed flights and appointments – Time bound assignments are often missed due to cray traffic congestion.Missed air flights have become common.A bonanza for India’s airline operators and a huge unsolved problem for flight takers.

4) Parking Fights – Most of Indian cities are unplanned without any parking for most houses.This leads to a huge problem in terms of illegal parking.Even Legal Parking sees fights between neighbours leading to fights and sometimes even deaths.With thousands and millions  of car hitting the roads every day and month,the problem is growing even more acute.No solution in sight as Indian politicians happily line up their pockets in corruption scams.

Bramhaputra Mail rams into goods train in Sahibganj

Bramhaputra Mail coming from Dibrugarh and enroute to New Delhi collided with a good train at 5.50 a.m. on Wednesday near Karanpurato station at Barharwa- Sahebgunj section of Eastern Railways.According to Mr. Samir Goswami, CPRO of Eastern Railways, 2 persons were killed and four others injured in the sleeper class compartment.