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| From The Hindu |
Whenever a policeman waves my car down, a flicker of
indignation rises in me, tinged with a trace of ironic amusement. I was taking
a shortcut yesterday morning when a constable stopped my car right in front of
a big ditch on a narrow rural road. It was a strategic point: no one could
speed away ignoring the police because of the rainwater-filled ditch that
spanned the entire width of the road ahead.
Another constable came with a
breathalyser and asked me to blow into it which I did with a smirk that was
intended to convey my indignation. First of all, it was too early in the day
for any normal person to be drunk. Secondly, they chose a place which revealed
in all its gruesome ugliness that the government didn’t give a f*#k to the safety
or wellness of the citizens, travellers in this case.
Kerala is a state where an average of
over 130 road accidents take place every day. 48,841 accidents occurred on
Kerala’s roads in the year of 2024, according to the website
of the Kerala Police. 3875 persons died and 54,813 were injured. The condition
of the road was as responsible as drunken driving, according to the police
stats.
The governments – state and central –
extract huge sums of money from the citizens in various names such as road tax,
passenger & goods tax, vehicle tax, vehicle insurance tax, tolls on highways,
and countless fines. 
From Kerala Kaumudi
A few weeks back, I
received a text message from MoRTH [Ministry of Road Transport and Highways] that
I had to pay a fine of Rs 500 as my side-seat traveller wasn’t wearing seatbelt
on a particular date. I checked my travels and found that Maggie was with me on
that day in the particular place where the camera supposedly caught her without
seatbelt. Both Maggie and I always make sure we wear the seatbelt, not merely
to escape the huge fine but also for our own safety. We don’t go even the short
distance to her school without wearing the seatbelt.
I challenged the fine by lodging a
complaint with the Grievance System of the traffic police. Nothing has happened
so far. I know nothing will happen. That’s our government systems are, central
as well as state. If they have photographic evidence, why not share it with me?
That’s my simple request and query. They won’t respond. Instead they will harass
you the next time you go for something like renewing your car’s insurance.
In Kerala, the government survives by
extortion. Money is squeezed out of people in all possible ways. For example,
the tax on liquor in Kerala is nearly 300%. That is, when you buy a bottle of
whisky that costs Rs 1000 in Kerala, the state government gets Rs 750 (approx).
Without the drinkers in Kerala, the state’s coffers would be absolutely empty.
The fines on the road are similarly
extortionist. If you drive without wearing seatbelt, the fine is Rs 1000. If
your vehicle is not insured, Rs 2000 for the first ‘offence’, and Rs 4000 for
subsequent offences. If you have an extra passenger in your vehicle, cough up
Rs 1000 per passenger. Rs 1000 - 5000 for over-speeding (depending on the type
of vehicle).
Don’t think that the government is
imposing all these fines because it is interested in your safety and wellbeing.
If that were the case, the first thing would be to make the roads safe enough
for drives. Too many roads in the state are in extremely bad condition. Too
many people die on them. Who cares? Your government is more interested in
charging a tax on your dead body!
I cleared my breath test and the
constable waved me away as rudely as cops all over the country generally do. I
have wondered again and again why police people can’t have good manners. Why do
they treat everyone like a criminal? Well, that’s not the point I was driving
at. As I said, I cleared the breath test and moved forward only to stop my car
again. This time not for any cop, but to avoid another gaping pothole. What is
more dangerous on our roads: the drink or the neglect?
We need responsible driving, no
doubt. I’m with any government that promotes measure to ensure safe roads. But
I’m yet to see genuine efforts on the part of the governments.
If safety is the goal, let’s start by
paving the way – literally.
Your rant applies not only to Kerala but for all of India! Tragic!
ReplyDeleteI guess it does. These days I don't travel much outside Kerala and hence haven't seen the roads out there.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteRoad maintenance is an issue even here in the UK - although not quite the same death statistics, there are most certainly vehicular damage and minor human damage caused by accidents resulting directly from poor road condition. Mind you, there's poor then there's downright undrivable - yours fit the latter! YAM xx
We have utterly bad roads, forget undrivable - they don't even look like roads!
Delete