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COVER STORY PLUS

“Any IT solution
which talks about
the use of a smart
phone or about
looking at the smart
phone when I am
on the driving seat
is not welcome”.

don’t claim that we in the ministry, So some of those which are long So any solution which talks about the
in the government, are up to the term features have already been use of a smart phone or about looking
mark. I don’t think we can ever completed in about 118 of those parts at the smart phone when I am on the
claim that but I can certainly assure during the last year and this year. We driving seat is not welcome. Let that
this house that we are on the right have carried out an analysis and the smart phone be for anything else but it
way forward. rate of accidents has sharply fallen should not distract my attention from
When I joined NHAI about ten in those improved black spot areas. driving. The solution could be probably
months prior to joining this Ministry So it is not limited to the geometry that screen which is now coming in
and somebody told me that ‘we have of the roads, quality of the roads, middle segment vehicles which can
identified more than 500 black spots and signage on the roads, which capture all those messages.
in this country’, I was incapable of though is most important. I would In terms of the vehicle capabilities,
understanding it. So I asked: ‘what is be most dissatisfied as a person if and rules and regulations, the Ministry
a black spot and how do you identify the road markings are not proper. has already pushed significant
it or call it a black spot?’ I was told And the information content being amendments in the Motor Vehicles Act
that ‘when during a period of last displayed on the road signage, which which has already been passed by the
three years three accidents have means that I am in this jurisdiction, Lok Sabha in the month of July. It could
taken place at a spot leading to death, and the next destination is this, not go to the Rajya Sabha and has been
that is considered to be a black spot’. etc.,should be perfect. All important referred to a Select Committee. The
It was a very weird definition, as for destinations should be properly Committee is working at a very fast pace
example, all three could be travelling shown so that the person takes the and it has promised that it will submit
in the same vehicle or there could be turn at the right place. If a person its report to the house on the first day
three different accidents. Whether is not notified 500mtrs before any of the sitting of the next session. That
that accident is on account of road important information whether he would bring about a change in terms
engineering defects or on account of has to take a right or left, then I think of the vehicle regulation. It is going to
road speeding, or drunken driving, you are creating an opportunity for
or not following the lane, the an accident. be a game changer, both in terms of
reasons could be different. But all FM Radio has started coming out deterrence to non-compliance and in
said and done once it is identified, with advance warnings with regard to terms of encouraging compliance. And
a follow up to look at the reasons the traffic congestions on the roads the good Samaritans have been given
of the accidents taking place there and following that, you can take your adequate protection through the law.
is important -- whether the road corrective measures but I am very I am lucky to be working with a
geometry needs to be improved in worried that the moment anybody Minister who is extremely pushy and
the area, whether it is the junction says you have that information on your who wants something to be delivered
point for one or two roads crossing phone, thanks to the IT, you begin every day. So last night we were at
through and whether there is need looking at the phone. But the golden his house till 9pm talking about a
for provision of vehicle or underpass rule is that when we are driving we meet of State Transport Ministers and
or a flyover. are not supposed to see anything else. Secretaries that we are organizing on

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