Traffic Violations Surge, Endangering Commuters

Fast Summary:

• Motorists, including private bus drivers in Kozhikode city, are ignoring pre-monsoon road safety guidelines issued by the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) and police.
• Violations include exceeding speed limits, dangerous overtaking, misuse of mobile phones while driving, and triple riding among two-wheeler users.
• MVD enforcement squads initiated actions against around 40 private buses for various safety rule violations; surveillance cameras detected over 27,000 additional violations last month.
• Over 4,315 violations were exposed during inspections across all vehicle types last month; fines collected amounted to nearly ₹1 lakh.
• Specific concerns highlighted included worn-out tyres that may lead to aquaplaning on wet roads and lack of helmet usage (12,188 instances) by riders.
• Some private bus operators attribute accidents to poor road conditions with potholes but accuse MVD and police of focusing only on imposing fines rather than addressing infrastructure issues.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The reported disregard for safety regulations in Kozhikode city raises concerns about accountability among motorists operating public transport. Pre-monsoon season typically increases risks from compromised road infrastructure and unsafe driving practices. While enforcing rules is crucial for minimizing accidents and injuries-as evidenced by the fines imposed-there seems to be a gap between regulation adoption and actual compliance.

Additionally,while some bus operators point toward poor road conditions as contributing factors for accidents,effectively coordinating between enforcement agencies like MVD/police and civil bodies responsible for infrastructure appears essential. Failure to address these systemic challenges could exacerbate risks during monsoon conditions. The reliance on surveillance-based detection systems suggests progress in monitoring but also underscores the need for proactive measures targeting root causes like vehicle maintenance or safer driving behavior.

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