Road and Highway Safety – National Road Safety Policy, Good Samaritans, etc.
The shock of crumbling infrastructure and the solution
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PM Gati Shakti;
Mains level: Challenges related to infrastructure;
Why in the News?
The recent collapse of under-construction bridges in Bihar highlights ongoing quality control challenges in India’s infrastructure sector, despite efforts like PM Gati Shakti and increased capital expenditure in 2024.
Issues of Quality Control and Project Implementation in Infrastructure in India
- Quality Control Deficiencies: There are significant gaps in the quality control mechanisms for infrastructure projects. Many projects lack a robust system for monitoring and ensuring quality at every stage, from planning to execution. The absence of comprehensive quality assurance frameworks as evidenced by recent bridge collapses in Bihar.
- Need for Modern Project Management Practices: Traditional project management practices are often outdated and ineffective in addressing the complexities of modern infrastructure projects.
Internal Challenges in India’s Infrastructure Sector:
- Project Delays and Cost Overruns: Infrastructure projects frequently experience delays and cost overruns, with a report indicating that 431 projects faced a total cost overrun of ₹4.82 lakh crore.
- Lack of Comprehensive Planning: Many infrastructure projects, especially in urban areas, suffer from poor planning and project management, with urban local bodies and local self-governments lacking the necessary capacity and expertise.
- Multiple Clearances and Bureaucratic Delays: Industrial and commercial activities often require numerous clearances, leading to delays in project conception and commissioning.
- Funding and Resource Misallocation: Delayed and poorly managed projects crowd out funding for other essential projects, burdening the government with extra expenditures and increasing procurement costs.
Need to Integrate Modern Tools and Techniques: (Way forward)
- Real-time Data Management: Traditional project management methods need an overhaul to incorporate modern tools like real-time data collection and analysis, which can help track progress and make timely interventions.
- Global Best Practices in Project Management: The government must adopt international best practices, like the UK’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority model, which emphasizes efficient project delivery.
- Program Management Approach: A holistic approach to managing multiple projects systematically, integrating resources, time, and information efficiently, as seen in successful projects like the Shendra-Bidkin industrial corridor.
- GIS-Based Platforms: Initiatives like PM Gati Shakti demonstrate the integration of GIS-based platforms for real-time monitoring, enabling better coordination among various stakeholders to meet deadlines and enhance project quality.
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On the challenges to road safety in India
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Mains level: Road safety in India;
Why in the News?
The India Status Report on Road Safety 2024 highlights India’s slow progress in reducing road fatalities and stresses the need for tailored approaches to improve road safety.
What does the ‘India Status Report on Road Safety 2024’ state?
- The report highlights India’s limited success in reducing road accident fatalities, despite the country’s efforts in other sectors. The report stresses that most Indian States are not on track to meet the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety goal to halve traffic deaths by 2030.
- It emphasizes the connection between road construction, mobility, and safety,
- Road traffic injuries remain a significant public health challenge. In 2021, these injuries were the 13th leading cause of death and the 12th leading cause of health loss (measured in Disability-Adjusted Life Years or DALYs).
- The report reveals significant disparities in road traffic death rates across Indian States, with vulnerable groups such as motorcyclists and truck-involved crashes being particularly high.
Note: The report used FIR data from six States and audits of State compliance with Supreme Court directives on road safety.
Which States have the lowest rates of road accident deaths?
- West Bengal and Bihar have the lowest rates of road accident deaths, with 5.9 per 1,00,000 people in 2021
What is a crash surveillance system?
- A crash surveillance system is a national-level database that records detailed data on road accidents, including specific variables like the mode of transport of victims.
- India lacks such a system, with current data being aggregated from police station records, limiting the depth of analysis and effectiveness of interventions.
- Implementing this system would enhance road safety management and allow for better evaluation of policy interventions.
Way forward:
- Establish a National Crash Surveillance System: Implement a comprehensive database for road accidents to enable detailed analysis and improve targeted interventions for road safety. This would enhance data accuracy and guide more effective policies.
- Prioritize State-Specific Road Safety Strategies: Tailor interventions to the unique challenges of each State, focusing on vulnerable road users like motorcyclists and improving safety infrastructure, such as helmet usage, traffic calming, and trauma care facilities.
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Derek O’Brien writes: Creaking infrastructure and an absent BJP government
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PM Gramin Sadak Yojana.
Mains level: a stark contrast between Nehru's visionary speeches and the current state of Indian infrastructure
Central Idea:
The excerpts from Jawaharlal Nehru’s speeches in the 1950s and 1960s highlight the symbolic significance and national pride associated with the Bhakra-Nangal Project. However, the current state of Indian infrastructure, particularly in roads, tunnels, bridges, flyovers, and railways, paints a contrasting picture, revealing delays, poor construction quality, accidents, and questionable priorities.
Key Highlights:
- Nehru’s speeches emphasize Bhakra-Nangal as a symbol of India’s progress and a temple of resurgent India.
- The stark contrast between Nehru’s vision and the current state of Indian infrastructure is evident in issues with roads, tunnels, bridges, flyovers, and railways.
- The PM Gramin Sadak Yojana faces delays and subpar construction, with over 50,000 km of roads yet to be completed.
- The Bharatmala project’s Phase 1 achieved only 39% of its target, with a significant increase in sanctioned amounts compared to estimates.
- Tragic incidents like tunnel collapses, bridge collapses, and rail accidents underscore the grim reality of poor infrastructure.
Key Challenges:
- Inordinate delays and poor-quality construction in road projects under PM Gramin Sadak Yojana.
- Serious defects and negligence leading to bridge collapses, resulting in significant casualties.
- Lack of completion in safety inspections for railways and a focus on expensive vanity projects like the bullet train over fundamental needs.
Key Phrases:
- Nehru’s reference to Bhakra-Nangal as the “new temple of resurgent India” and a symbol of progress.
- Tragic incidents such as tunnel collapses, bridge collapses, and rail accidents highlighting the grim reality of poor infrastructure.
Key Quotes:
- “Bhakra-Nangal is a landmark not merely because the water will flow here and irrigate large portions (of land) or because enough electric power will be generated here to run thousands of factories and cottage industries which will provide work for the people and relieve unemployment.”
- “Bhakra, the new temple of resurgent India, is the symbol of India’s progress.”
Anecdotes:
- Narratives of individuals trapped in tunnels and tragic incidents during infrastructure collapses, providing a human perspective on the consequences.
Key Statements:
- Nehru’s speeches glorifying Bhakra-Nangal as a symbol of progress and resurgent India.
- Instances of negligence leading to tragedies, raising questions about the state of infrastructure.
Key Examples and References:
- Specific incidents such as the Morbi bridge collapse, Uttarkashi tunnel tragedy, and rail accidents illustrate the grim consequences of poor infrastructure.
- The disparity in construction costs between the bullet train and dedicated freight corridors.
Key Facts and Data:
- Over 50,000 km of roads await completion under the PM Gramin Sadak Yojana.
- Phase 1 of the Bharatmala project achieved only 39% of its original target.
- At least 15 major rail accidents occurred in 2023, with safety inspections incomplete.
Critical Analysis:
- The article reveals a stark contrast between Nehru’s visionary speeches and the current state of Indian infrastructure.
- Tragic incidents underscore the urgent need for better construction practices and safety measures.
- Prioritizing expensive vanity projects over fundamental infrastructure needs raises questions about allocation of resources.
Way Forward:
- Emphasizes the importance of reevaluating priorities and focusing on fundamental infrastructure needs.
- Urges the government to address delays, improve construction quality, and prioritize safety in infrastructure projects.
- Calls for a shift in focus from expensive vanity projects to essential infrastructure that serves the basic needs of the population.
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Private: Debating India’s New ‘Hit and Run’ Law
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Section 106 (2) of BNS
Mains level: Read the attached story
Introduction
- Backdrop: Transporters and drivers from various states are protesting against Section 106 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), which imposes stringent penalties for hit-and-run incidents.
- Demand for Revision: Protestors are calling for the withdrawal or amendment of the law, threatening a nationwide strike if not addressed.
The Protests: Scope and Impact
- Widespread Disruption: The protests have led to roadblocks, police injuries, vehicle damage, and fears of fuel shortages across multiple states.
- Strikes and Commuter Struggles: Thousands of private bus drivers in Chhattisgarh went on strike, causing widespread commuter inconvenience and panic.
Protesters’ Concerns and Demands
- Stringent Punishments: Transporters are worried about the harsh penalties of up to 10 years in jail and a ₹7 lakh fine for fleeing accident scenes.
- Challenging Work Conditions: They argue that the law fails to consider factors like long driving hours, difficult roads, and external factors like poor visibility.
- Fear of Unfair Blame: There is a perception among drivers that they are often unjustly held responsible for accidents.
- Potential for Law Enforcement Abuse: Drivers fear that the law could be misused, deterring people from the transport profession.
Rationale Behind the New Law
- Alarming Road Accident Statistics: India’s high road accident fatalities and the global increase in road accidents necessitate stringent laws.
- Objective of the Law: The law aims to deter rash and negligent driving and enforce moral responsibility on offenders to report accidents.
Misconceptions and Clarifications
- Misinterpretation of Penalties: Contrary to popular belief, Section 106 (2) of the BNS does not specify a ₹7 lakh fine.
- Compensation Under Motor Vehicles Act: Section 161 of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, provides compensation for hit-and-run victims, not recoverable from drivers.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
- Need for Reconciliation: The clauses of the BNS need revisiting to ensure fairness for over 35 lakh truck drivers and other vehicle operators.
- Equality and Liability Issues: The current categorization under the BNS is problematic and does not consider various contributory factors in accidents.
- Differentiating Rash and Negligent Driving: Rash and negligent driving should be separated for appropriate liability and punishment.
Way Forward: Proposals for Amendment
- Graded Liability and Punishment: Implementing different scales of punishment based on the severity of accidents could address drivers’ apprehensions.
- Clarifying Applicability: It’s crucial to specify that Section 106 (2) applies only in cases of death due to accidents.
- Alternative Measures for Minor Injuries: For minor injuries, community service, license revocation, or mandatory retests could be more appropriate responses than criminalization.
Conclusion
- Addressing Ambiguities: Clear communication and legal clarity are needed to dispel misunderstandings among drivers.
- Ensuring Just and Effective Legislation: The government must balance the need for road safety with fair treatment of transporters, ensuring that the law is just, effective, and considerate of the realities of road transport.
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Nationwide Transportation Strike: Protests against Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Read the attached story
Central Idea
- The nationwide transportation strike entered its second day, causing huge disruptions across the country.
- The strike, involving truck, bus, and tanker drivers, is a protest against stringent regulations under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for hit-and-run cases.
Background of the Strike: BNS Provisions
- Implementation of BNS: The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which introduces tougher penalties for hit-and-run cases, has not yet been implemented.
- Comparison with IPC: The new law replaces Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code, which had a lesser punishment for causing death by negligence.
- Section 106 Controversy: Transporters are protesting Section 106 of the BNS, which increases punishment for rash and negligent driving to a maximum of 10 years.
- Section 106(1) and 106(2): These sections provide for punishments in hit-and-run cases, with Section 106(1) offering a lesser sentence for those who report accidents.
- Abiding to Supreme Court Observations: The increase in sentence duration to 10 years is based on the Supreme Court’s recommendations for stricter actions against reckless drivers who flee accident scenes.
Protesters’ Concerns and Demands
- Fear of Unjust Punishments: Transport operators argue that the new law could lead to unfair punishments and expose drivers to mob violence.
- Lack of Stakeholder Consultation: There is a sentiment that the law was passed without adequate discussion with relevant stakeholders.
- Skepticism about Government Promises: All India Motor Transport Congress expressed doubts about the government’s assurances, predicting fuel shortages and driver protests.
Impact of the Strike
- Widespread Disruptions: The strike has significantly impacted transportation, especially in northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and others, as well as West Bengal, Odisha, and southern states.
- Fuel Shortages: Long queues at petrol pumps have been reported, indicating a hit to fuel supply.
Conclusion
- Continued Protests: Despite some transport bodies calling off the strike, others continue to protest, affecting transportation and fuel supply.
- Need for Dialogue: The situation underscores the need for further dialogue between the government and transport stakeholders to address concerns and find a resolution.
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Private: Truckers’ Protests in India: Economic Impact and Underlying Issues
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Issues with BNS
Introduction
- Protest against New Legislation: Truckers in India are protesting against stringent punishments proposed in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for hit-and-run accidents, leading to significant fuel shortages and highlighting the sector’s importance.
- New Criminal Code Provisions: The new code, passed in the winter session of Parliament, increases penalties for drivers fleeing accident scenes, raising concerns among transporters.
Truckers’ Concerns: Are They Justified?
- Increased Penalties: The law now stipulates up to 10 years in jail or a ₹7 lakh fine for fleeing an accident scene, a substantial increase from the previous two-year term.
- Impact on Profession: Transporters argue that these harsher penalties could deter individuals from trucking careers, worsening the existing driver shortage in India.
- Safety Concerns: Truckers often flee accident scenes not to evade arrest but for self-protection against hostile crowds, adding complexity to the issue.
Accident Statistics and Truckers’ Vulnerability
- Rise in Road Accidents: India saw an 11% increase in road accidents in 2022, with significant fatalities involving pedestrians and two-wheeler riders.
- Truckers’ Role in Accidents: While truck drivers account for less than 9% of fatalities, their exact culpability is unclear as data doesn’t specify fault. However, the high rate of accidents on national highways, where trucks are prevalent, suggests possible involvement.
Economic Impact of the Strike
- Fuel Shortages: The strike led to fuel shortages, with around 2,000 fuel stations running dry due to the strike and subsequent panic buying.
- Normalization Efforts: The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) urged truckers to resume work, leading to gradual normalization from Wednesday noon.
Significance of Road Transport in India
- Contribution to GDP: Road transport contributes 3.6% to India’s GDP, with buses handling 85% of passenger traffic and trucks about 70% of freight movement.
- Increased Dependence: The sector’s importance has grown with the development of more highways and expressways.
- Essential for Perishables: Trucks play a crucial role in transporting perishables, with price increases observed in some products within just two days of the strike.
Truck Driver Shortage in India
- Trucks-to-Driver Ratio Decline: From a 1:1.3 trucks-to-driver ratio in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the ratio has dropped to 1:0.65, leading to about 25-28% of trucks being idle at any time.
- High Attrition Rate: Approximately 60% of truck drivers leave the industry within 15 years, exacerbating the shortage.
- Stagnant Wages: Despite the demand-supply mismatch, truckers’ salaries have not increased significantly, with driving cabs and taxis in cities offering better pay.
Conclusion
- Balancing Legislation and Livelihoods: The government needs to find a balance between ensuring road safety through legislation and addressing the concerns of truckers.
- Economic Importance: The strike underscores the critical role of truckers in India’s economy, particularly in the transportation of essential goods.
- Need for Sustainable Solutions: Addressing the driver shortage and improving working conditions in the trucking industry are essential for maintaining the sector’s viability and preventing future disruptions.
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Steering road safety in India back onto the right lane
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019
Mains level: road safety in India
Central idea
India’s road safety crisis, witnessing an estimated 300,000 annual fatalities, demands immediate interventions. Despite economic progress, road crashes cost 5-7% of the national GDP, emphasizing the need for strategic investments, political will, and a collective mindset shift. Urgent actions are crucial to curb this silent but deadly pandemic.
Key Highlights:
- India’s Annual Road Fatalities: Approximately 3,00,000 people lose their lives on Indian roads annually.
- Global Road Deaths: India contributes to 25% of the worldwide road fatalities.
- India’s Disproportionate Role: Despite global road safety concerns, one in four road deaths occurs in India.
- Economic Toll: Road crashes in India impose a substantial economic cost, ranging from 5-7% of the nation’s GDP.
Challenges:
- Urgent Intervention Needed: Over 34 deaths per hour underscore the critical need for immediate and coordinated action.
- Economic Impact: The economic toll of road crashes in India is substantial, affecting the nation’s GDP.
- Economic Toll: Road crashes in India impose a substantial economic cost, ranging from 5-7% of the nation’s GDP.
- State Disparities: The economic impact varies across states, impacting the quality of emergency care and after-care services.
Key Data:
- Annual Road Fatalities: Approximately 3,00,000 people are estimated to be killed on Indian roads every year. Equivalent to more than 34 people every hour of every day.
- Economic Toll: Road crashes in India are estimated to cost between 5% and 7% of the national GDP.
- Global Road Safety: Positions road safety as a global problem, with 1.3 million people killed in road crashes every year.
Key Phrases:
- Silent Pandemic: Describes road-related fatalities as a silent but deadly pandemic demanding attention.
- Whole-of-Society Effort: Emphasizes the need for a collaborative approach involving government, private sector, and citizens.
- World Day of Remembrance: Commemorates the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on November 19.
- Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019: Indicates positive steps taken by the Indian government to enhance road safety measures.
Analysis:
- Pedestrians and Two-Wheelers: Emphasizes the vulnerability of pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheeler riders, constituting 75% of road deaths in India.
- Policy Impact: Acknowledges positive steps like the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, and improved data collection while emphasizing the need for a comprehensive safe-system approach.
- Legislative Impact: Acknowledges positive steps like the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, and emphasizes the need for strategic investments in road safety measures.
- Data-Driven Approach: Highlights the importance of enhanced data collection to understand the causes and locations of road crashes better.
Way Forward:
- Seatbelt and Helmet Use: Prioritize the enforcement of seatbelt and helmet use for both drivers and passengers to significantly reduce fatalities.
- Behavioral Change: Emphasize the importance of public awareness campaigns like #MakeASafetyStatement to instigate behavioral changes and promote road safety.
- Large-Scale Initiatives: Launch campaigns on a national scale, such as #MakeASafetyStatement, involving international celebrities, to raise awareness and instigate behavioral changes.
- Collaborative Efforts: Encourage a whole-of-society effort involving the government, private sector, and citizens for effective road safety measures.
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Alarming Road Accidents and Fatalities in India in 2022
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Road Accidents in India
Central Idea
- A recent government report titled ‘Road Accidents in India – 2022’ has revealed a concerning surge in road accidents, fatalities, and injuries.
- The report sheds light on the grim statistics of road safety in the country.
Road Accidents in India
- The report is based on information provided by police departments of States and Union Territories collected on a calendar year basis.
- Standardized formats from the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) were used for data collection under the Asia Pacific Road Accident Data (APRAD) base project.
Statistical Overview:
- In 2022, India witnessed a total of 4,61,312 road accidents. It resulted in a tragic loss of 1,68,491 lives.
- Additionally, 4,43,366 individuals sustained injuries.
State-Specific Data
- Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of road accidents on National Highways in 2022 (64,105 accidents or 13.9%).
- Madhya Pradesh followed closely with 54,432 accidents (11.8%).
- Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of fatalities (22,595 or 13.4%) due to road accidents.
- TN came second with 17,884 fatalities (10.6%).
Why discuss this?
(1) Year-on-Year Increase:
- The report disclosed an alarming year-on-year increase of 11.9% in road accidents.
- Fatalities also rose by 9.4% in the same period.
- The number of injuries surged by a staggering 15.3% compared to the previous year.
(2) Accident Distribution:
- The accidents were distributed across different types of roads as follows:
- National Highways, including Expressways: 32.9% (Fatalities: 36.2%)
- State Highways: 23.1% (Fatalities: 24.3%)
- Other roads: 43.9% (Fatalities: 39.4%)
(3) Demographic Impact:
- Young adults: Mostly between 18 and 45 years old comprised a significant portion, accounting for 66.5% of road accident victims in 2022.
- Working People: Within the working age group of 18 to 60 years represented 83.4% of total road accident fatalities.
(4) Rural vs. Urban Accidents:
- Approximately 68% of road accident fatalities occurred in rural areas.
- Urban areas accounted for 32% of total accident deaths in the country.
(5) Vehicle Categories
- Two-wheelers remained the most prominent vehicle category involved in road accidents and fatalities for the second consecutive year.
- Light vehicles, including cars, jeeps, and taxis, ranked a distant second.
What global reports have to say?
- A recent analytical series published by The Lancet highlights the potential to reduce road accident-related deaths in India and other countries by 25 to 40%.
- This reduction is achievable through preventive interventions that target four key risk factors.
Major issues identified
In developing countries like India, several structural problems persist:
- High Speed: Excessive speed contributes to accidents.
- Driving Under the Influence: Alcohol-impaired driving poses a substantial risk.
- Unplanned Motorization: Rapid motorization and urbanization create challenges.
- Highway Development: Speedy highway construction often lacks accommodation for diverse traffic speeds.
- Vehicle Conditions: Ramshackle vehicles, wrong-side driving, and inadequate traffic policing are widespread issues.
India-specific Problems
- Weak Law Enforcement: Inconsistent enforcement of traffic laws, often resolved through bribery.
- Speeding: Higher vehicle speeds and increased traffic volume on highways.
- Engineering Challenges: Gaps in highway medians, untreated intersections, and missing crash barriers.
- Behavioural Issues: Violations such as wrong-side driving, lane misuse, and traffic light disobedience.
- Lack of Immediate Trauma Care: Insufficient trauma care on highways leading to higher fatalities.
Steps Taken by India
India has undertaken various measures to address road safety concerns:
- Sundar Committee (2007): India lacks competent investigation units to determine accident causes.
- Amendment to Motor Vehicles Act (2019): Legislative changes, though not uniformly implemented across states.
- National Road Safety Board: Establishment with advisory powers for safety reforms.
- World Bank Support: Approval of a $250 million loan for the India State Support Programme for Road Safety.
Challenges in Implementation
Despite efforts, the focus remains conventional, with limited emphasis on structural changes:
- User Behavior Focus: States prioritize user behavior and education over structural improvements.
- Low Emphasis on Engineering Standards: Inadequate attention to raising engineering standards for roads, signage, signals, and accident investigation training.
- Responsibility Fixation: Neglect in assigning responsibility to government departments for road infrastructure design, creation, and maintenance.
Way forward
- Promoting awareness and responsible behaviour.
- Better road design, maintenance, and signage.
- Strictly enforcing traffic rules and penalties.
- Ensuring vehicle safety and roadworthiness.
- Enhancing first aid and paramedic care in Golden Hour.
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Unlocking Bharat NCAP: How safe is your Car?
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Bharat NCAP
Mains level: Vehicle safety in India
Central Idea
- India is set to launch its own Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) for four-wheelers starting from 1 October, with the aim of making cars safer and improving consumer awareness.
What is Bharat NCAP?
- Definition: BNCAP is a safety assessment program for passenger vehicles weighing less than 3.5 tonnes and capable of seating up to eight people.
- Global Alignment: It brings India in line with other regions around the world, including the US, Europe, Japan, Australia, and Latin America, which have their own NCAPs.
- Goal: The program aims to promote transparency, create consumer awareness, and assist buyers in making informed decisions based on safety credentials.
Implementation Details
- Applicability: It will apply to type-approved motor vehicles of category M1 with a gross vehicle weight less than 3.5 tonnes, manufactured or imported in India.
- Category M1: Category M1 motor vehicles are designed for the carriage of passengers, comprising eight seats, in addition to the driver’s seat.
- Voluntary Nature: Bharat NCAP will be voluntary for car manufacturers. Cars will only be tested upon the request of the makers.
Crash Testing Methodology
- Types of Tests: The testing will include 3 types of crash tests: frontal, side, and pole-side impact tests.
- Speed and Scoring: Frontal tests will be conducted at 64 kmph, while side and pole-side tests will be conducted at 50 kmph and 29 kmph, respectively. Scoring will be based on adult safety for front passengers and child safety at the rear.
- Star Ratings: A car must score at least 27 out of 32 points for adult safety to achieve a 5-star rating, while a minimum score of 41 out of 49 points will earn a 5-star rating for child safety. Additional points will be awarded for restraint systems like ISOFIX anchorages.
Significance of Bharat NCAP
- Consumer Awareness: BNCAP ratings will provide consumers with an indication of the level of protection offered to occupants, covering areas such as adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, and safety assist technologies.
- Promoting Safer Cars: It will serve as a consumer-centric platform, allowing customers to choose safer cars based on their Star Ratings, and encouraging manufacturers to produce safer vehicles.
- Enhanced Safety and Export Potential: Bharat NCAP aims to ensure structural and passenger safety in cars while increasing the exportworthiness of Indian automobiles.
- Aatmanirbhar Initiative: It aligns with the goal of making the Indian automobile industry self-reliant.
Importance of Crash-Testing Vehicles in India
- Road Crash Burden: Despite having only 1% of the world’s vehicles, India accounts for 11% of global road crash fatalities.
- Existing Testing Standards: While India’s Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) mandate safety and performance assessments, including basic conformity crash tests, they do not provide crash test ratings. This has led to international automakers selling vehicles in India with lower safety ratings to reduce costs.
- Changing Purchase Criteria: Safety is increasingly becoming a significant factor influencing car purchases in India.
Expected Performance of Indian Cars
- Progress in Crash Testing: Global NCAP has been crash-testing Indian cars since 2014, with notable progress in recent years.
- Star Ratings Achieved: Out of the 62 crash tests conducted so far, older cars scored poorly, with 20 cars receiving 0 stars. However, eight cars, all less than three years old, achieved 5-star ratings for adult safety.
- Easier and Cost-Effective Testing: With testing centers in Pune, Manesar, and Indore now equipped to conduct these tests, it will become easier and more cost-effective for manufacturers to have their cars tested in India.
- Leveraging Star Ratings: The implementation of Bharat NCAP is expected to encourage more car manufacturers to seek star ratings for their vehicles, leveraging these ratings to enhance their market position.
Conclusion
- Enhancing Safety Standards: Bharat NCAP aims to encourage more automakers to voluntarily undergo safety assessments and build vehicles that meet global standards.
- Congruence with Global NCAP: The government aims to align Bharat NCAP with Global NCAP standards, resembling the global gold standard.
- Boosting Export Potential: The implementation of Bharat NCAP is expected to enhance the export-worthiness of Indian automobiles.
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Z-Morh tunnel to be ready in April
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Z-Morh tunnel
Mains level: Not Much
The crucial Z-Morh tunnel that connects Gagangir and Sonamarg on the Srinagar-Leh highway will be inaugurated next month in April.
What is Z-Morh tunnel?
- Z-Morh tunnel, also known as the Zoji-Morh Tunnel, is an under-construction tunnel located in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
- The tunnel is being constructed at an elevation of 11,578 feet and is expected to provide all-weather connectivity to the Kashmir Valley.
Location
- The Z-Morh tunnel is located on National Highway 1D, which is the only road that connects the Kashmir Valley to the rest of India.
- The tunnel is being constructed in the Zoji-Morh region, which is a high-altitude mountain pass located on the Srinagar-Leh Highway.
It’s Construction
- The Z-Morh tunnel is being constructed at a length of 6.5 km and is expected to be completed at a cost of around Rs. 2,000 crore.
- The tunnel will have a two-lane carriageway and will be constructed using the latest tunnelling technology.
- The project is being executed by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).
Significance
- The tunnel is expected to provide all-weather connectivity to the Kashmir Valley, which is currently cut off from the rest of India for several months during the winter season due to heavy snowfall and avalanches.
- The tunnel will also reduce the travel time between Srinagar and Leh by around four hours, as it will eliminate the need to cross the Zoji-Morh pass.
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Call Before u Dig Application
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CBUD App
Mains level: NA
Prime Minister has launched the ‘Call Before u Dig’ (CBuD) app, to facilitate coordination between excavation agencies and underground utility owners to prevent damage to utilities due to digging.
Call Before u Dig (CBUD)
- The app is an initiative of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications.
- Uncoordinated digging and excavation causes damage to underlying assets like optical fibre cables, leading to losses of about Rs 3,000 crore every year.
- The app aims to prevent damage to utilities due to digging.
- It will save potential business loss and minimise discomfort to citizens due to reduced disruption in essential services like road, telecom, water, gas and electricity.
How does the app work?
- The CBuD app connects excavators and asset owners through SMS/Email notifications and click-to-call.
- It ensures planned excavations in the country while ensuring the safety of underground assets.
- Excavating companies can inquire about existing subsurface utilities before starting excavation work.
- Utility owners can find out about impending work at the location.
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One Nation, One Challan Initiative
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: One Nation, One Challan Initiative
Mains level: Not Much
The Gujarat Govt. informed High Court that it’s setting up virtual traffic courts under ‘One Nation One Challan’ initiative while hearing a PIL on the matter.
What is the One Nation, One Challan initiative?
- One Nation, One Challan is an initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
- It aims to bring all related agencies, such as the traffic police and the Regional Transport Office (RTO), on one platform, to enable seamless collection of challans as well as data transfer.
- The integrated system uses the CCTV network to detect traffic violations and retrieve the registration number of the offending vehicle from applications like VAHAN and SARATHI.
- An e-Challan is then generated with the relevant penalty amount, and sent to the mobile number linked with the vehicle.
What did the Gujarat govt inform?
- In Gujarat, the initiative is operational in three commissionerate areas of Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Surat since January this year and implementation at Vadodara is underway.
How does the integration help?
- Prior to the integration, details of vehicle ownership from a different state could not be accessed through the CCTV network for penalization.
- Integration of all states’ RTO data and traffic police data with the support of NIC servers allows access to vehicle registration and related data for violators from different states.
- Challans will be sent directly to the mobile number registered with the vehicle.
- NIC is set to launch its own application for e-Challan delivery.
How do virtual traffic courts work?
- Virtual courts are aimed at eliminating the presence of litigants in the court.
- An accused can search their case on the virtual court’s website. Upon successful payment of the fine, the case will be shown as disposed of.
- For now, one court is in the process of being designated as a virtual court for the whole of Gujarat.
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Indian road accident scenario: More serious than Covid-19
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Road accidents and road safety In India
Context
- Cricketer Rishabh Pant’s accident near Roorkee resulting in some injuries, has once again drawn attention to the problem of road safety in India. Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, recently said that the Indian road accident scenario, with 415 deaths and many injured every day, is more serious than Covid-19. This is a frank admission that even with comprehensive road safety programmes, India’s record shows little signs of improvement.
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Road Accidents in India A lookover
- In spite of several years of policymaking to improve road safety, India remains among the worst-performing countries in this area.
- Total 1,47,913 lives lost to road traffic accidents in 2017 as per Ministry of Road Transport and Highways statistics.
- The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figure for the same year is 1,50,093 road accident deaths.
An overall apathy: Road safety and traffic norms violation
- Easy licences without basic road signage knowledge: The fact of the matter is that simple but serious issues, like road users’ inept understanding of the basic traffic rules and road signage, easier access to driving licences without a meaningful ground scrutiny of skills and unchecked selfish and aggressive driving behaviour continue to dominate Indian road traffic.
- Road traffic rules are grossly violated and goes unchecked: Deadly violations of lane driving, speed limits and traffic signals, instances of at-will parking on the fast-developing modern, smooth highways all these go mostly unchecked and unquestioned.
- Human errors are major factors: The causes of road crashes, such as the ones above, are well known. Human error on the roads is admittedly the single-largest factor responsible.
- Lack of understanding of basic traffic rules: Nobody seems to know which lane they’re supposed to be in; not even the traffic police personnel on duty can tell.
- Charges are often framed against the driver but rarely against the officials: Further, in case of a serious road crash, charges are framed against the erring drivers, but rarely (or, never) against the road-safety public officials for non-performance, non-enforcement of traffic rules, not taking urgent corrective action on conspicuous road-hazards and the black spots.
- Engaged more in paperwork than ion ground: At the macro level, various institutions of road safety, both at the national level and in the states, are engaged in routine paperwork and bear no accountability for the failure to produce desired results.
What is road safety?
- Road safety means methods and measures aimed at reducing the likelihood or the risk of persons using the road network getting involved in a collision or an incident that may cause property damages, serious injuries and/or death.
What needs to be done?
- The enforcement of traffic norms is the key to road safety: All ongoing programmes towards enhancing safe road conditions and vehicles have to go on. However, the priority goal and the global mandate is to significantly reduce the rising number of road crashes.
- Scare resources and complex nature of road safety: The central and state governments run complex road safety programmes with their scarce resources, with little success. The World Bank has chipped in with a $250 million loan to India to tackle the high rate of road crashes through road-safety institutional reforms and the results-based interventions.
- Wise administration and enforcement of rules is necessary: Regular, professional enforcement of rules and swift and innovative solutions to traffic indiscipline and bottlenecks by the administration could help evolve a healthy safe-road culture.
- An example to be followed: In Delhi too the government’s insistence on drawing a bus lane on the city’s major roads has been accepted overnight, and largely implemented. The lessons from such sporadic but crucial initiatives are apparent and inspiring.
What are the proposed measures?
- To begin with, identify the two worst roads in a specific area:
- Notify each identified road as a Zone of Excellence (ZOE) in road safety (RS) This could include a state or national highway/road/part thereof and adjoining areas
- Provide road marking/written instructions on road-surface/road signage
- Take care to provide lanes for emergency vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians etc, as feasible
- Ensure adherence to basic traffic rules/ safety norms. Create multiple checkpoints (CP), every 2-4 kms for example, with each CP supported by road safety volunteers in addition to police
- Use tech aids, judiciously combined with manual interventions/ volunteers
- Supplement enforcement with road safety education/ awareness measures
- Station ambulances and lift cranes for swift response to accidents
- Make reliable arrangements with hospitals/ trauma centres through formal MoUs
- The administrative structure for the implementation of road safety can be set up in three tiers.
- Tier 1 would be the Managing Group (MG), which would look after day-to-day operations and would be autonomous and financially empowered. The MG would meet daily to introspect, analyse issues, incorporate suggestions and assign tasks. It would organise training and refresher programmes for traffic police and road safety volunteers.
- Tier 2 would have district level monitoring. Exclusive personnel would be earmarked for ZoEs with a district. This is where urgent solutions would be sought, budgetary allocations made and review modes fixed. It would also ensure adherence to targets.
- Tier 3 would have top management and control, represented at the level of the Union or state government. It is at this level that a dynamic road-safety ecosystem would be developed. Existing road safety institutions would either be dismantled or rejuvenated, and there would be monthly reviews, with directions, accountability and disciplinary action
- The expected results would include:
- A logical, simple, practical and convincing model that would add new perspective to road safety measures
- A potentially effective action plan, plus a dynamic live-experiment lab for road safety
- Application of best practices, both local and global
- Proactive engagement of elected public representatives, NGOs, RWAs, educational institutes and voluteers
- An evolving standing expert think tank
- Revitalisation and development of existing and new institutions of road safety
- Employment generation
- Traffic decongestion and lane discipline
- A carnival of road safety on the ground overnight, throughout the country, which would make road safety visible and respectable
- A model that would be replicable in other low and middle-income countries
Way ahead
- The need here is to return to the basics, with courage and coordination: A newly power-packed Motor Vehicles Act, a decentralised federal structure, down to the level of district and panchayat administration, and the Supreme Court committee on road safety and its regular monitoring of the related issues.
- Regular monitoring: What is further required is a specific regime whereby road safety authorities are given clear targets for reducing road crashes over a defined period.
- Ensuring accountability: Further, the authorities should be subjected to close and regular monitoring, review and accountability.
Conclusion
- In spite of several years of policymaking to improve road safety, India remains among the worst-performing countries in this area. It is absolutely necessary for citizens to follow road safety norms but government cannot look away from its responsibility.
Mains question
Q. Road accidents in India is a serious and a silent pandemic. Discuss where lies the overall apathy and discuss mention few proposed measures.
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Road ministry notifies new rules on BH Series registration mark for vehicles
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: BH Series
Mains level: Not Much
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highway has notified new rules to further increase the scope of implementation of the BH series registrations for vehicles.
What is the update?
The transport ministry has proposed new rules that would permit transfer of vehicles with BH series registration mark to other persons, who are eligible or ineligible for the getting the series.
What is Bharat series (BH-series)?
- There was a procedure of re-registration of a vehicle while moving to another state.
- A vehicle bearing BH registration mark shall not require assignment of a new registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one State to another.
- Format of Bharat series (BH-series) Registration Mark –
Registration Mark Format:
- YY BH #### XX
- YY – Year of first registration
- BH- Code for Bharat Series
- ####- 0000 to 9999 (randomized)
- XX- Alphabets (AA to ZZ)
Why such move?
- Station relocation occurs with both Government and private sector employees.
- Such movements create a sense of unease in the minds of such employees with regard to transfer of registration from the parent state to another state.
- Under section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, a person is allowed to keep the vehicle for not more than 12 months in any state other than the state where the vehicle is registered.
Who can get this BH series?
- BH-series will be available on voluntary basis to Defense personnel, employees of Central Government/ State Government/ Central/ State PSUs and private sector companies/organizations.
- The motor vehicle tax will be levied for two years or in multiple of two.
- This scheme will facilitate free movement of personal vehicles across States/UTs of India upon relocation to a new State/UT.
- After completion of the fourteenth year, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied annually which shall be half of the amount which was charged earlier for that vehicle.
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Unscientific Highway Infrastructure: A Cause of Accidents
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Issues with unscientific highway infrastructure
Context
- In a March 2019 circular, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) raised the subject of premature issuance of completion certificates for national highway works. NHAI had noticed that, in certain cases, completion certificates had been issued even before the completion of works ‘up to the standards and specifications’ prescribed by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
Status of National highways and deaths
- 35 percent of all road deaths: NHAI is the principal organization responsible for construction of National Highways in India. National highways constitute a mere 2 percent of the country’s road network, but account for close to 35 percent of all road deaths.
- Record 37 kms per day: The ministry has been taking credit for the pace at which national highways are being constructed. In the fiscal year 2021, it reached a record 37 kms per day. This has come down to 19.44 km per day in the first six months of the financial year 2022.
What was the circular issued by NHAI?
- Issuance of completion certificate: The circular forbade the issuance of such certificates, especially if non-completion resulted in ‘material inconveniences to users’ or affected their safety.
- Likely cause of fatalities: Items such as road shoulders, road signs, markings, dressing of slopes, and road furniture were explicitly mentioned. circular was not taken with due seriousness by some authorized engineers. This negligence could have contributed to road crashes, probably resulting in fatalities.
- Dereliction of duty by NHAI’s officials: The NHAI has now warned the delinquents that such behavior would be treated as a serious dereliction of duty and disciplinary action would be taken against officers issuing such certificates to incomplete road works. Additionally, the officers would be held personally liable in case of serious accidents that occur on such unfinished infrastructure.
- Safety is better than pace of construction: The Minister for Road Transport & Highways stressed that it is necessary to build safer roads even if this decelerated the pace of construction.
Case study of NHAI’s road construction?
- Death of Cyrus Mistry: Unfortunately, self-introspection by the NHAI in regard to safety failures and the large number of deaths on national highways was not in evidence in the aftermath of the death of Cyrus Mistry on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai national highway in September 2022.
- Crash was result of poor infrastructure: In this instance, a seven-member forensic investigation team found that the car crash was the result of an infrastructure issue. The car in which Mistry was travelling happened to tragically hit a bridge that was faultily designed.
- Invisible dividers: The bridge parapet was found to be protruding into the shoulder lane. Furthermore, the road with three lanes unexpectedly narrowed to a road with two lanes with a dangerous L-shaped concrete divider that had no proper paint on it.
- Inadequate safety signs: Road signages were grossly inadequate, making that road stretch a ‘black spot’. This epithet is used for a road section where accidents are a frequent occurrence.
- Expressways are constructed for more speed: The accident also raised issues of the excessive speed of the car that crashed. It was said that the car was travelling at a speed in excess of 100 km per hour. However, the minister himself has been in favour of higher speeds on Indian expressways and national highways. He proposed a speed limit of 140 kmph on expressways and at least 100 kmph on four-lane national highways. This, he stated, was advocated on account of considerable improvements in the quality of India’s highways that permit vehicles to go faster than in the past.
- Speed limit safety needs to be revise: The minister was also critical of some judicial rulings that disallowed hiking speeds on national highways. However, in the light of certain facts repeatedly surfacing in regard to safety issues of national highways, it does appear that greater caution in regard to increasing speed needs to be taken.
Critical analysis of NHAI’s road construction and maintenance
- Rains and potholes: While the government claims that they are of international standard, a recent report highlighted the plight of road travelers on national highways post India’s monsoons. The rains have left the country’s arterial network in poor shape as they have become riddled with potholes.
- Higher toll but poor roads: The cited report mentioned the Gurgaon-Jaipur stretch of NH-8, which, despite a hike in toll rates, remains incomplete and terribly potholed. The reason for this sorry state of affairs was revealed in a reply by the government to a parliamentary standing committee.
- Insufficient maintenance: The budgetary provision for maintenance of national highways was a mere 40 percent of their own estimated standards. Clearly, maintenance of national highways was being discounted in favour of more kilometres of road construction. The shortfall of 60 percent of maintenance money was terribly high and resulted in the resources being thinly spread, making adequate maintenance intervention highly unlikely.
- Inadequate budgetary allocation: The parliamentary committee pointed out in its report titled ‘Issues related to road sector’ that the shortfall in sufficient budgetary allocation was echoed in the poor quality of national highways often witnessed across the country. The committee emphasized that the maintenance of national highways was vitally significant in regard to safety and good average traffic speeds and ought to be given high priority. The issue had been repeatedly flagged by the committee.
- NITI Aayog’s acknowledgement of poor infrastructure: Similarly, NITI Aayog, in its report titled ‘Strategy for New India @75’, advised that the government should earmark 10 percent of its annual budget for maintenance of roads and highways and move towards the developed country norm of marking 40 percent of the budget for road upkeep. It is evident that if national highways are not in shape, the economy of the country and the states takes a hit.
Conclusion
-
It is absolutely necessary for citizens to follow road safety norms but government cannot look away from its responsibility. Scientific road construction even at the cost of slow construction rate is non-negotiable for sake of accident prevention. Safety of citizens is prior to any world record.
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Amendments to Bharat Series Rules
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: BH Series
Mains level: Not Much
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highway has issued a draft notification proposing new rules to further increase the scope of implementation of the BH series vehicle registrations.
Bharat series (BH-series)
- There was a procedure of re-registration of a vehicle while moving to another state.
- A vehicle bearing BH registration mark shall not require assignment of a new registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one State to another.
- Format of Bharat series (BH-series) Registration Mark –
Registration Mark Format:
- YY BH #### XX
- YY – Year of first registration
- BH- Code for Bharat Series
- ####- 0000 to 9999 (randomized)
- XX- Alphabets (AA to ZZ)
Why such move?
- Station relocation occurs with both Government and private sector employees.
- Such movements create a sense of unease in the minds of such employees with regard to transfer of registration from the parent state to another state.
- Under section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, a person is allowed to keep the vehicle for not more than 12 months in any state other than the state where the vehicle is registered.
Who can get this BH series?
- BH-series will be available on voluntary basis to Defense personnel, employees of Central Government/ State Government/ Central/ State PSUs and private sector companies/organizations.
- The motor vehicle tax will be levied for two years or in multiple of two.
- This scheme will facilitate free movement of personal vehicles across States/UTs of India upon relocation to a new State/UT.
- After the completion of the fourteenth year, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied annually which shall be half of the amount which was charged earlier for that vehicle.
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Road safety in India
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: road safety
Context
- A horrific car accident killed Cyrus Mistry and Jehangir Pandole. This tragedy got plenty of people thinking about road safety measures. Sadly, neither Mistry nor Pandole was wearing their rear-seat safety belts this highlights importance of following road safety norms.
What’s the meaning of road safety?
- Road safety means methods and measures aimed at reducing the likelihood or the risk of persons using the road network getting involved in a collision or an incident that may cause property damages, serious injuries and/or death.
What is road safety education?
- The aim of education, training and encouragement in Road Safety is to educate all road users in the proper and safe use of roads in order to change user attitudes and behaviour and to stimulate an awareness of the need for improvement in road safety.
What affects road safety?
- Several factors most notably speed, traffic density, flow, congestion, demographics (namely age gender and deprivation), driving behaviour (involving alcohol consumption, helmet or seat belt usage) and land use, such as residential or economic zones, were found to have mixed effects on road safety.
What are examples of road safety?
- Pedestrian crossing warning;
- Left turn driver assistance; and
- Approaching emergency vehicle warning.
Road Accidents in India A lookover
- In spite of several years of policymaking to improve road safety, India remains among the worst-performing countries in this area.
- Total 1,47,913 lives lost to road traffic accidents in 2017 as per Ministry of Road Transport and Highways statistics.
- The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figure for the same year is 1,50,093 road accident deaths.
Do you know?
The ‘golden hour’ has been defined as ‘the time period lasting one hour following a traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood of preventing death by providing prompt medical care.
Causes of Road Accidents in India
- Sub-standard roads: The life of roads is not good due to the substandard raw materials and potholes accidents caused.
- Traffic: The increasing traffic on roads and conditions of roads are not proportionate to each other.
- Use of mobile phone: Most of the people are on call while driving thus they drive recklessly and accidents happen as most of the Indians now have mobile phones.
- Drunk Driving: Drinking makes people lose the ability to focus and function properly. This makes it dangerous for the driver to operate the vehicle.
- Dis-obedience for traffic rules: Indian drivers are quick to learn to drive but they don’t learn traffic rules and the purpose of such rules.
- Malpractices: Malpractices such as over-speeding, triple riding, underage driving, etc are reducing the safety of road users.
- Implementation drawbacks: Police are supposed to execute the rules but, it may be a lack of workforce or lack of intention, they also fail to execute.
- Corrupt practices: Mostly police use the rules to mint money either officially by Chalan or in person.
Key data for value addition
Despite being home to only 1% of the world’s vehicles, India shoulders 11% of the global road crash fatality burden.
Various Policy Initiatives by government
- Road Safety: In the area of road safety, the Act proposes to increase penalties to act as deterrent against traffic violations. Stricter provisions are being proposed in respect of offences like juvenile driving, drunken driving, driving without licence, dangerous driving, over-speeding, overloading etc. Stricter provisions for helmets have been introduced along with provisions for electronic detection of violations.
- Vehicle Fitness: Automated fitness testing for vehicles has been made mandatory. This would reduce corruption in the transport department while improving the road worthiness of the vehicle. Penalty has been provided for deliberate violation of safety/environmental regulations as well as for body builders and spare part suppliers.
- Recall of Vehicles: The Act allows the central government to order for recall of motor vehicles if a defect in the vehicle may cause damage to the environment, or the driver, or other road users.
- Road Safety Board: A National Road Safety Board, to be created by the central government through a notification to advise the central and state governments on all aspects of road safety and traffic management. This would include standards of motor vehicles, registration and licensing of vehicles, standards for road safety, and promotion of new vehicle technology.
- Protection of Good Samaritan: The Act lays down the guidelines and provides rules to prevent harassment of Good Samaritan to encourage people to help road accident victims.
- Cashless Treatment during Golden Hour: The Act provides for a scheme for cashless treatment of road accident victims during golden hour.
Value addition for good marks
The 4 ‘E’ Approach
- The Government of India put forth Engineering, Economy, Enforcement and Education as the fundamental areas to focus on in order to ensure road safety.
Way forward
- Road safety education from the primary level: Those already using our roads and driving or riding on it could have formed bad habits that are difficult to change or undo. So it’s important that we catch them young and start educating children on road safety and correct behaviour on the road.
- Better first aid and paramedic care: In most cases, the public and police are the first ones to reach the site of an accident. But sadly, neither has any first aid training and the police don’t even have even simple things like a first aid box or stretcher. This initial trauma care has to improve.
- Stricter criteria for driving licenses: Fortunately, the government has recognized the need for this, and getting a driving license is no longer as easy as before. Lots of the process has been digitalized and made more stringent. But it’s still far from perfect and lots more needs to be done
- Better road design, maintenance, and signage: Many of our roads are poorly designed with badly placed junctions, acute corners, uneven gradients, sudden speed-breakers, etc. And this is made worse by poor road maintenance and many accidents occur because a driver suddenly swerves to avoid a pothole.
- Heavy crackdown against non-compliance: This is one of the leading causes of road accidents in India and while we do have strict laws, the enforcement, particularly on our highways is quite lax. Consumption of drugs by truck drivers while driving is rampant, and this needs to stop completely.
- Stricter enforcement of traffic rules: The Amended Motor Vehicles Act has higher penalties and punishment to deter people from committing traffic offenses and driving rashly. It’s high time we enforced our traffic rules and imposed discipline while driving and using the road.
- Encouraging better road behaviour: The people should motivate themselves to behave in a better manner on the road. The campaigns such as “Be the Better Guy”, need to be applauded, encouraged and expanded.
Mains question
Q. In spite of several years of policymaking to improve road safety, India remains among the worst-performing countries in this area. Critically analyse.
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Automatic Number Plate Reader (ANPR) cameras for toll collection
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Automatic Number Plate Reader (ANPR)
Mains level: Toll collection models in India
In light of congestion at toll plazas, the Road Transport and Highways Ministry is now moving ahead with a plan to replace toll plazas with cameras that could read number plates, also known as Automatic Number Plate Reader (ANPR) cameras.
ANPR cameras
- The plan is to remove toll plazas on national highways and instead rely on ANPR cameras, which will read vehicle number plates and automatically deduct toll from the linked bank accounts of vehicle owners.
- The model is simple: Entry and exit of toll roads will have cameras capable of reading number plates, and toll will be deducted based on these cameras.
Can all number plates be read by the cameras?
- Not all number plates in India can be read, and only those that have come after 2019 will be registered by the cameras.
- The government, in 2019, had come up with a rule mandating passenger vehicles to have company-fitted number plates, and only these number plates can be read by cameras.
- The government plans to come up with a scheme to replace older number plates.
- A pilot of this scheme is underway and legal amendments to facilitate this transition are also being moved to penalise vehicle owners who skip toll plazas and do not pay.
Current model for toll collection: FASTags
- Currently, about 97 per cent of the total toll collection of nearly Rs 40,000 crore happens though FASTags — the remaining 3 per cent pay higher than normal toll rates for not using FASTags.
- With FASTags, it takes about 47 seconds per vehicle to cross a toll plaza.
- There’s a marked throughput enhancement – more than 260 vehicles can be processed per hour via electronic toll collection lane as compared to 112 vehicles per hour via manual toll collection lane, according to government data.
- While FASTags have eased traffic at toll plazas across the country, congestion is still reported as there are toll gates that need to be crossed after authentication.
Why such move?
- Congestion at toll plazas on national highways continues to impact commuters despite 97 per cent of tolling happening through FASTags.
- Apart from ANPR helping to ease congestion, the government is also looking at GPS technology as one of the options for toll collection.
Are there issues with ANPR?
- The success of ANPR cameras will depend on creating an ecosystem that is in sync with the requirements of the camera.
- The biggest problem being faced during the trials is when things are written on number plates, beyond the nine digit registration number, such as ‘Govt of India/Delhi’ etc.
- Another problem that ANPR cameras face is in reading number plates on trucks, as most of the time they are hidden or soiled etc.
- A pilot on a key expressway has found that about 10 per cent of vehicles with such number plates are being missed by the ANPR cameras.
Back2Basics: What is ‘FASTag’?
- As per Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, since 1st December 2017, the FASTag had been made mandatory for all registered new four-wheelers and is being supplied by the Vehicle Manufacturer or their dealers.
- It has been mandated that the renewal of fitness certificate will be done only after the fitment of FASTag.
- For National Permit Vehicles, the fitment of FASTag was mandated since 1st October 2019.
- FASTags are stickers that are affixed to the windscreen of vehicles and use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to enable digital, contactless payment of tolls without having to stop at toll gates.
- The tags are linked to bank accounts and other payment methods.
- As a car crosses a toll plaza, the amount is automatically deducted, and a notification is sent to the registered mobile phone number.
How does it work?
- The device employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for payments directly from the prepaid or savings account linked to it.
- It is affixed on the windscreen, so the vehicle can drive through plazas without stopping.
- RFID technology is similar to that used in transport access-control systems, like Metro smart card.
- If the tag is linked to a prepaid account like a wallet or a debit/credit card, then owners need to recharge/top up the tag.
- If it is linked to a savings account, then money will get deducted automatically after the balance goes below a pre-defined threshold.
- Once a vehicle crosses the toll, the owner will get an SMS alert on the deduction. In that, it is like a prepaid e-wallet.
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Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (BNCAP)
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: BNAP, GNAP
Mains level: Read the attached story
The government is planning a new car assessment programme (NCAP) in India, to be called the Bharat NCAP or BNCAP.
What is Bharat NCAP?
- Bharat NCAP is a new car safety assessment programme which proposes a mechanism of awarding ‘Star Ratings’ to automobiles based upon their performance in crash tests.
- BNCAP standard is aligned with global benchmarks and it is beyond minimum regulatory requirements.
- The proposed Bharat NCAP assessment will allocate Star Ratings from 1 to 5 stars.
- The testing of vehicles for this programme will be carried out at testing agencies, with the necessary infrastructure.
Its implementation
- BNCAP will be rolled out from April 1, 2023.
- It will be applicable on type-approved motor vehicles of category M1 with gross vehicle weight less than 3.5 tonnes, manufactured or imported in the country.
- M1 category motor vehicles are used for the carriage of passengers, comprising eight seats, in addition to driver’s seat.
Significance of Bharat NCAP
- BNCAP rating will provide consumers an indication of the level of protection offered to occupants by evaluating the vehicle in the areas of:
- Adult occupant protection
- Child occupant protection
- Safety assist technologies
- It will serve as a consumer-centric platform, allowing customers to opt for safer cars based upon their Star-Ratings.
- It will also promote a healthy competition among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in India to manufacture safer vehicles.
- It will ensure structural and passenger safety in cars, along with increasing the export-worthiness of Indian automobiles.
- It will prove to be a critical instrument in making our automobile industry Aatmanirbhar.
Why does India need to crash-test vehicles?
- Indian vehicles have historically not been crash-tested in the country.
- Despite being home to only 1% of the world’s vehicles, India shoulders 11% of the global road crash fatality burden.
What about existing testing standards?
- India’s Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) mandate a safety and performance assessment, including a basic conformity crash test by agencies like the ARAI and ICAT when vehicles go in for type approvals.
- However, this does not involve a crash test rating.
- Many international automakers have been found to sell products in India which score much lower on safety and structural performance parameters.
- This is done to reduce costs in the price-sensitive Indian market.
- However, safety is moving up nowadays the list of key purchase criteria in India as well.
How will a homegrown NCAP help?
- Global NCAP (GNCAP) crash tests for many best-selling Indian vehicles have dismal ratings, many of them rated zero in a bias.
- The government hopes that by facilitating these tests by in-house agencies, more automakers will voluntarily undergo safety assessments and build vehicles that hold up to global standards.
How will it compare with GNCAP?
- The government wants the two tests to be in congruence with each other.
- It intends to design the BNCAP to resemble the GNCAP, the global gold standard, as closely as possible, including the speed for crash testing at 64kmph.
- Central Motor Vehicle rules encompass standards with respect to pedestrian protection and seat belt reminders among others and will be retained in the testing under the BNCAP.
- The government hopes the move will increase the export-worthiness of Indian automobiles.
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Road Safety in India
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Road safety issues in India
The United Nations is holding a high-level meeting on Global Road Safety on June 30 and July 1, 2022 to review the progress and challenges.
Road Accidents in India: A lookover
- In spite of several years of policymaking to improve road safety, India remains among the worst-performing countries in this area.
- Total 1,47,913 lives lost to road traffic accidents in 2017 as per Ministry of Road Transport and Highways statistics.
- The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figure for the same year is 1,50,093 road accident deaths.
Why in news?
- The persistently high annual death toll brings into question the country’s ability to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.6.
- This aims to halve the fatalities and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030.
Lancet’s findings on road safety
- A new analytical series on road safety worldwide, published by The Lancet, proposes that India and other countries could cut accident-related deaths by 25 to 40%.
- This is based on evidence that preventive interventions produce good outcomes when applied to four well-known risk factors:
- High speed
- Driving under the influence of alcohol
- Not using proper helmets
- Not wearing seat-belts and not using child restraints
Issues highlighted in developing countries
- The structural problems linked to unplanned motorisation and urbanisation remain.
- In India, speedy highway construction takes place without reconciling fast and slow-moving traffic.
- There is a rampant presence of ramshackle vehicles, wrong-side driving, absence of adequate traffic police forces etc.
Why are there so many road fatalities in India alone?
- Weak enforcement of traffic laws: People hardly oblige to traffic rules and find easier to bribe policemen rather than paying hefty challans.
- Speeding issue: More accidents on the highways have been attributed to higher vehicle speeds and higher volume of traffic on these roads.
- Engineering bottlenecks: Issues such as gaps in the median on the national highways, untreated intersections, and missing crash barriers are some of the biggest engineering issues.
- Behavioural issue: Driver violations such as wrong-side driving, wrong lane usage by heavy vehicles, and mass violation of traffic lights, intoxication are the biggest behavioural issues.
- Lack of Golden hour treatment: Lack of rapid trauma care on highways leads to such high fatalities.
Various steps taken by India
- India amended Motor Vehicles Act in 2019, but its implementation by State governments is not uniform or complete.
- A National Road Safety Board was constituted under the Act, with advisory powers to reform safety.
- The World Bank has approved a $250 million loan to support for India State Support Programme for Road Safety.
Issues with implementation
- The focus of State governments, however, remains conventional, with an emphasis on user behaviour (drivers and other road users), education and uneven enforcement.
- Low emphasis is placed on structural change such as raising engineering standards for roads, signages, signals, training for scientific accident investigation, raising policing skills and fixing responsibility on government departments for design, creation and maintenance of road infrastructure.
What can be done to cut death and injury rates?
- The ambitious amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act in 2019 (MV Act) have not yielded significant results.
- Major interventions in India, first suggested by the Sundar Committee (2007) and ordered by the Supreme Court in Rajasekaran vs Union of India have not made a dent in the problem.
Key findings of Sundar Committee
- The Sundar Committee pointed out that India lacked a technically competent investigation arm that could determine the cause of accidents.
- There is little clarity on whether the States have formed such units to aid traffic investigation, or whether the insurance industry has pressed for these to accurately determine fault.
- In the absence of scientific investigation, perceptions usually guide the fixing of liability.
Solutions provided by the Lancet
- The Lancet calculated that 17% of road traffic injury-related deaths could be avoided if trauma care facilities improved.
- This is significant as several accidents take place in rural areas on highways, and victims are taken to poorly-equipped district hospitals or medical college hospitals.
- While positive user behaviour — slower travel, wearing of helmets, seat belts and so on — could save thousands of lives.
- In the short term, slowing down traffic, particularly near habitations, segregating slower vehicles, enforcing seat belt and helmet use and cracking down on drunken drivers could produce measurable gains.
Imbibing road safety: Way forward
- Road safety education
- Better road design, maintenance and warning signage
- Crackdown on driving under influence of alcohol and drugs
- Strict enforcement of traffic rules
- Encouraging better road behaviour
- Ensuring road worthiness of a vehicle
- Better first aid and paramedic care
Do you know?
The ‘golden hour’ has been defined as ‘the time period lasting one hour following a traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood of preventing death by providing prompt medical care.
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India State Support Programme for Road Safety
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Road safety issues in India
The World Bank has approved a $250 million loan to support the Government of India’s road safety programme for seven States.
Programme for Road Safety
- Under this, a single accident reporting number will be set up to better manage post-crash events.
- It will be implemented in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
- The $250 million variable spread loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a maturity of 18 years, with a grace period of 5.5 years.
- The project will also establish a national harmonised crash database system in order to analyse accidents and use that to construct better and safer roads.
- The project will also provide incentives to States to leverage private funding through public private partnership (PPP) concessions and pilot initiatives.
Road accidents in India: Key takeaways
- The report ‘Road Accidents in India 2020’ released by the Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) provides for key stats.
- India has only 1% of the world’s vehicles but 11% of the global deaths from road accidents occur in India.
- About 450,000 accidents take place in India annually, of which 150,000 people die.
- There are 53 road accidents in the country every hour and one death every four minutes.
Why are there so many road fatalities in India alone?
- Weak enforcement of traffic laws: People hardly oblige to traffic rules and find easier to bribe policemen rather than paying hefty challans.
- Speeding issue: More accidents on the highways have been attributed to higher vehicle speeds and higher volume of traffic on these roads.
- Engineering bottlenecks: Issues such as gaps in the median on the national highways, untreated intersections, and missing crash barriers are some of the biggest engineering issues.
- Behavioural issue: Driver violations such as wrong-side driving, wrong lane usage by heavy vehicles, and mass violation of traffic lights, intoxication are the biggest behavioural issues.
- Lack of Golden hour treatment: Lack of rapid trauma care on highways leads to such high fatalities.
Imbibing road safety: Way forward
- Road safety education
- Better road design, maintenance and warning signage
- Crackdown on driving under influence of alcohol and drugs
- Strict enforcement of traffic rules
- Encouraging better road behaviour
- Ensuring road worthiness of a vehicle
- Better first aid and paramedic care
Do you know?
The ‘golden hour’ has been defined as ‘the time period lasting one hour following a traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood of preventing death by providing prompt medical care.
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E-DAR portal to speed up Accident Compensation Claims
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: E-DAR portal
Mains level: Road safety issues in India
The Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has developed the portal named ‘e-DAR’ (e-Detailed Accident Report).
Why such move?
- Road accidents continue to be a leading cause of death, disabilities and hospitalization in the country despite our commitment and efforts.
- India ranks first in the number of road accident deaths across the 199 countries and accounts for almost 11% of the accident related deaths in the World.
E-DAR portal
- It is designed in consultation with insurance companies to provide instant information on road accidents with a few clicks and help accelerate accident compensation claims, bringing relief to victims’ families.
- Digitalised Detailed Accident Reports (DAR) will be uploaded on the portal for easy access.
- The web portal will be linked to the Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD).
- From iRAD, applications to more than 90% of the datasets would be pushed directly to the e-DAR.
- Stakeholders like the police, road authorities, hospitals, etc., are required to enter very minimal information for the e-DAR forms.
- Thus, e-DAR would be an extension and e-version of iRAD.
Its working
- The portal would be linked to other government portals like Vaahan and would get access to information on driving licence details and registration of vehicles.
- For the benefit of investigating officers, the portal would provide geo tagging of the exact accident spot along with the site map.
- This would notify the investigating officer on his distance from the spot of the incident in the event the portal is accessed from any other location.
- Details like photos, video of the accident spot, damaged vehicles, injured victims, eye-witnesses, etc., would be uploaded immediately on the portal.
- Apart from the state police, an engineer from the Public Works Department or the local body will receive an alert on his mobile device and the official concerned will then examine the accident site.
Check on fake claims
- The e-DAR portal would conduct multiple checks against fake claims by conducting a sweeping search of vehicles involved in the accident, the date of accident, and the First Information Report number.
Various moves to curb road accidents
- Several initiatives have been taken by the MoRTH which continues to implement a multi-pronged road safety strategy.
- It is based on Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Emergency Care consisting inter-alia of setting up Driver training schools, creating awareness, strengthening automobile safety standards, improving road infrastructure, carrying out road safety audit etc.
- High priority has been accorded to rectification of black spots.
- A major initiative of the Ministry in the field of Road Safety has been the passing of the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act, 2019.
- It focuses on road safety include, inter-alia, stiff hike in penalties for traffic violations and electronic monitoring of the same, enhanced penalties for juvenile driving, cashless treatment during the golden hour etc.
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Good Samaritan Scheme
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Good Samaritan Scheme
Mains level: Road safety issues in India
The Good Samaritan scheme, meant to encourage and felicitate those helping road accident victims, has received a poor response from the states more than a month since its launch.
Good Samaritan Scheme
- The Road Transport and Highways Ministry announced this scheme so that taking a road crash victim to hospital is not just hassle-free but there is also the incentive of a reward and recognition.
- Historically, Indians are reluctant in taking victims to hospital because of associated legal processes and investigations that follow.
- To address that, the Centre inserted Section 134A in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, which deals with “Protection of Good Samaritans”.
Need for such scheme
- India witnesses around 5 lakh road accidents and 1.5 lakh deaths from them every year.
- As per several government assessments and independent studies, a large number of deaths occur because the victims did not get medical help within the golden hour.
Key features of the scheme
- Non-liability: Under the scheme, a good samaritan will not be liable for any civil or criminal action for any injury to or death of the victim of an accident involving a motor vehicle.
- Reward: The scheme entitles any person, who helps save a life by taking a road crash victim to the hospital during golden hour, to a reward of Rs 5,000 per accident.
- Anonymity clause: The new law is that the “Good Samaritan” is free to not disclose their name to the hospital or law enforcement authorities; they can also choose not to take part in any legal process.
Issues with the scheme
Ans. Poor response from the states
- Despite the Centre willing to give an initial grant of Rs 5 lakh for it, states have not even opened bank accounts to get the money.
- The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has sent several reminders to states to operationalize the scheme.
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[pib] National Road Safety Board
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: National Road Safety Board
Mains level: Road safety issues in India
The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has notified the constitution of the National Road Safety Board.
National Road Safety Board
- The NRSB will be constituted of a panel of seven members and a chairman, with the members having experience in the fields related to road safety, traffic regulation, urban planning, civil engineering and police enforcement and investigation.
- Additionally, the board will also comprise of technical committees to look into a variety of aspects of road safety from civil engineering to vehicle construction and safety equipment.
Why need such board?
- Along with the rapid expansion and up-gradation on the road network and the enforcement of higher safety standards for vehicles, the Government is now actively looking into the safety of roads too.
Terms of reference
- The Head Office of the Board shall be in the National Capital Region and the Board may establish offices at other places in India.
- The Board shall be responsible for promoting road safety, innovation and adoption of new technology and for regulating traffic and motor vehicles.
For this purposes, inter alia, the Board shall formulate
- specific standards for road safety, traffic management and road construction for hilly regions
- guidelines for capacity building and development of skills for traffic police, hospital authorities, highway authorities, educational and research organizations and other organizations
- guidelines for establishing and operating trauma facilities and para-medical facilities, for consideration by the Central Government
- provide technical advice and assistance to the Central Government, State Governments and local authorities on road safety and traffic management
Key provision: Protection of Samaritans
- The board aims to promote Good Samaritans and good practices in road safety and traffic management
- Good Samaritans who rescue victims of serious road accidents and rush them to a hospital within the golden hour will now be rewarded with ₹5,000.
- They will also be eligible for a cash prize of ₹1 lakh which will be given to 10 such Samaritans in a year.
- It has been felt that there is a need to motivate the general public through cash awards and certificates to help the road accident victims in emergency situation and to boost their morale.
- The categories of accidents that will make one eligible for the award will include those that result in a major surgery or minimum three days of hospitalisation or brain and spinal cord injuries.
Do you know?
The ‘golden hour’ has been defined as ‘the time period lasting one hour following a traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood of preventing death by providing prompt medical care.
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Vehicles scrappage policy: A step forward but a missed opportunity
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not Much
Mains level: Vehicle Scrappage Policy
The much-awaited draft policy on vehicle scrappage is finally out. But the draft policy also misses an opportunity: Of designing the policy as an effective stimulus programme for green recovery in the sector to achieve deeper and quicker air quality benefits.
Background
- The policy outlines the criteria for defining end-of-life vehicles and scrapping them.
- It also makes provision for scrapping facilities for safe disposal of waste and material recovery.
- This is an important step forward towards building infrastructure for organised and scientific scrapping of old vehicles.
The proposal
- This proposed policy seeks to phase out unfit vehicles to reduce vehicular pollution, meet the climate commitments, improve road safety and fuel efficiency, formalize informal vehicle scrapping industry and recover low-cost material for the automotive, steel and electronics industry.
- The policy expects to spin jobs and attract investment as well.
- It is a big positive for supporting a network of well-equipped scrappage facilities with adequate environmental safeguards to stop unsafe dismantling that contaminates the environment.
Must read:
Issues with the policy
(1) Advisory nature
- This policy has only ‘advised’ the state governments and the automobile industry to provide voluntary incentives to the owners of old vehicles.
- The central government has not committed to make it a fiscal stimulus strategy for quicker renewal of ageing, heavy-duty vehicle fleet with BS-VI vehicles — or to link other segments with targeted electrification.
(2) Achieving fleet renewal
- The focus on targeted fleet renewal for maximum emissions gains is still weak.
- The proposed policy puts the entire onus of incentivizing fleet renewal on the state governments.
- They have been advised to waive off a big chunk of road tax and registration fees on replacement vehicles.
- These are important sources of state revenue, and the reaction of the state governments is still not known.
(3) No stimulus
- The more compelling question is whether the central government would consider a centrally supported stimulus programme for post-pandemic green recovery.
- This is the global trend wherein governments have been giving conditional bailouts or tax support linked to emissions targets.
What can be an effective strategy?
(1) Transportation vehicles
- For heavy-duty vehicles, the policy can take a more nuanced approach.
- Consider that some truck owners may want to only dispose of the very old trucks without replacing them. But others may want to scrap and replace the older trucks.
- In that case, a rebate can be given to the owners of end-of-life vehicles who are interested in ‘only scrapping’ the vehicle without immediately replacing them.
- And this rebate can be given based on a scrappage certificate from authorized scrappage centres.
- Old trucks with more economic life left can get a comparatively higher incentive as that will give higher emissions benefits.
(2) Personal vehicles
- For these vehicles, the central incentive can be linked with replacement with electric vehicles.
- This can be added to the normal scrapping of end-of-life vehicles as already proposed in the draft policy. This can maximise air quality gains.
- Personal vehicles are numerous and general public support for their fleet renewal can divert a lion’s share of the allocated budget from the priority heavy-duty segment.
- Therefore, the public support for the personal vehicle segment can be linked only with voluntary electrification.
Build-in manufacturers’ responsibility
- The new policy also needs to align with the mandate for the manufacturers to meet targets for recyclability of material.
- Make this mandatory as part of the scrappage policy.
We have AIS 129
- It is encouraging that the Automotive Industrial Standard-129 (AIS 129) on reuse, recycling and material recovery from vehicles were framed in 2015.
- This requires 80-85 per cent of the material used in vehicle manufacturing by mass to be recoverable/recyclable/reusable at the end of life.
- AIS-129 also restricts the use of heavy metals including lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, etc, and asks for the coding of plastics to inform dismantlers.
- The requirement of recyclability should be extended to 85-95 per cent to maximise material recovery as well as energy recovery from residual waste like used oil, non-recyclable rubber etc.
Way forward
- This first-ever formal scrappage policy in India is urgently needed to help build infrastructure for safe disposal and material recovery to minimise environmental hazards.
- But India would be adopting scrappage policy during these unprecedented pandemic times, so it is necessary to leverage this targeted fleet renewal with well-designed central support for a post-pandemic green deal.
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Places in news: Baralacha Pass
For the first time ever, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has started work on reopening the crucial Baralacha Pass in Himachal Pradesh much before schedule to restore connectivity to Leh in Ladakh.
Note all the Himalayan passes from their N-S sequences.
Baralacha Pass
- Bara-lacha la also known as Bara-lacha Pass is a high mountain pass in the Zanskar range connecting the Lahaul district in Himachal Pradesh to Leh district in Ladakh.
- It is situated along the Leh–Manali Highway.
- The Bhaga river, a tributary of the Chenab river, originates from Surya Taal lake, which is situated a few kilometres from the pass towards Manali.
- The native name of Chenab “Chandrabhaga” represents the union of Chandra and Bhaga rivers downstream.
- The pass also acts as a water-divide between the Bhaga River and the Yunam River.
Why is this pass so important?
- The BRO had kept crucial passes open for a longer duration to enable the Army to undertake advanced winter stocking for the thousands of additional troops deployed in Ladakh.
- The team has traversed a total distance of 20 km in super high-altitude conditions scrupulously crossing the Baralacha La in the Zanskar range on foot amidst sub-zero freezing conditions.
- Frequent avalanches and slides with 15 to 20 feet of snow accumulation.
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Places in news: Baralacha Pass
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Baralacha Pass
Mains level: Himalayan passes and tunnels of strategic importance
For the first time ever, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has started work on reopening the crucial Baralacha Pass in Himachal Pradesh much before schedule to restore connectivity to Leh in Ladakh.
Note all the Himalayan passes from their N-S sequences.
Baralacha Pass
- Bara-lacha la also known as Bara-lacha Pass is a high mountain pass in the Zanskar range connecting the Lahaul district in Himachal Pradesh to Leh district in Ladakh.
- It is situated along the Leh–Manali Highway.
- The Bhaga river, a tributary of the Chenab river, originates from Surya Taal lake, which is situated a few kilometres from the pass towards Manali.
- The native name of Chenab “Chandrabhaga” represents the union of Chandra and Bhaga rivers downstream.
- The pass also acts as a water-divide between the Bhaga River and the Yunan River.
Why is this pass so important?
- The BRO had kept crucial passes open for a longer duration to enable the Army to undertake advanced winter stocking for the thousands of additional troops deployed in Ladakh.
- The team has traversed a total distance of 20 km in super high-altitude conditions scrupulously crossing the Baralacha La in the Zanskar range on foot amidst sub-zero freezing conditions.
- Frequent avalanches and slides with 15 to 20 feet of snow accumulation.
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[pib] Ropeways and Alternate Mobility Solutions to be under MoRTH
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not Much
Mains level: Alternate Mobility Solutions (AMS)
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will, from now on, also look after the development of Ropeways and Alternate Mobility Solutions (AMS).
Q.With growing mobility and diverse terrain across the country, it is imperative that all solutions be enabled and implemented. In this light, discuss various changes adopted by the Transport Ministry in this regard.
Ropeways
- A ropeway is a form of naval lifting device used to transport light stores and equipment across rivers or ravines.
- It comprises a jackstay, slung between two sheers one at either end, from which is suspended a block and tackle, that is free to travel along the rope and hauled back and forth by inhauls.
- An amendment to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 has been notified, to enable this step.
Impacts of the move
- The move is expected to give a boost to the sector, by setting up a regulatory regime and facilitating research and new technology to come into this sector.
- This means that the Ministry will have responsibility for the development of ropeway and alternative mobility solutions technology, as well as construction, research, and policy in this area.
- Formulation of the institutional, financial, and regulatory framework for the technology will also fall under the ambit of this move.
Expected benefits
- Last-mile connectivity for remote locations
- Reducing congestion on mainstream roads
- Chance to develop world-class ropeway infrastructure
- Setting up of an organised and dedicated rope-way and alternative mobility solutions industry
- New technology, like CPT – Cable Propelled Transit coming to the sector
- Setting safety norms for unregulated ropeways
- Allowing freight and goods at remote stations
- Regulating tariffs structure for the technology
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Personal Vehicle on a Public Road
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not Much
Mains level: Road safety issues
The Delhi government has told the Delhi High Court that a personal vehicle on a public road cannot be said to be a private zone — rather, it is a public space.
Do you know?
India sees the largest number of road fatalities in the world. More than 1.5 lakh people lost their lives in road crashes in the country in 2018, according to government data.
Why such an argument?
- The argument was given to defend its decision of making it compulsory for people to wear masks when they are travelling.
Supreme Court’s definition of ‘public space’
- The Supreme Court in one of its ruling has said defined a “public place” to mean any place to which the public has access, whether as a matter of right or not — and includes all places visited by the general public, and also includes any open space.
- The keywords are “any place to which public have access”, which phrase is further qualified by the phrase “whether as a matter of right or not”, the court noted.
- When a private vehicle is passing through a public road it cannot be accepted that the public has no access.
- It is true that the public may not have access to a private vehicle as a matter of right but definitely, public has the opportunity to approach the private vehicle while it is on the public road, said the court.
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[pib] Bharatmala Pariyojana
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Bharatmala Project
Mains level: Highways connectivity in India
A total of 322 projects in a length of 12,413 km have been awarded under Bharatmala Pariyojana. Further, 2921 Km has been constructed under the Project till the date.
Try this PYQ:
Q.Consider the following pairs:
National Highway: Cities connected
- NH 4: Chennai and Hyderabad
- NH 6: Mumbai and Kolkata
- NH 15: Ahmedabad and Jodhpur
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) None
Bharatmala Pariyojana
- It is a centrally-sponsored and funded the Road and Highways project.
- It is an umbrella program for the highways sector that focuses on optimizing the efficiency of freight and passenger movement across the country by bridging critical infrastructure.
- The total investment for 83,677 km committed new highways is estimated at ₹5.35 lakh crore making it the single largest outlay for a government road construction scheme.
- It works for the development of Economic Corridors, Inter Corridors and Feeder Routes, National Corridor Efficiency Improvement, Border and International connectivity roads, Coastal and Port connectivity roads and Green-field expressways.
- The ambitious umbrella programme has subsumed all existing Highway Projects including the flagship National Highways Development Project (NHDP), launched in 1998.
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‘Streets for People’ Challenge
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Streets for People
Mains level: Not Much
The Union Housing and Urban Affairs has launched the initiative ‘Streets for People’ for making cities more pedestrian-friendly.
Streets for People
- The Challenge builds on the advisory issued by MoHUA for the holistic planning for pedestrian-friendly market spaces, earlier this year.
- It will support cities across the country to develop a unified vision of streets for people in consultation with stakeholders and citizens.
- Adopting a participatory approach, cities will be guided to launch their own design competitions to gather innovative ideas from professionals for quick, innovative, and low-cost tactical solutions.
- It aims to inspire cities to create walking-friendly and vibrant streets through quick, innovative, and low-cost measures.
- All cities participating in the challenge shall be encouraged to use the ‘test-learn-scale’ approach to initiate both, flagship and neighbourhood walking interventions.
- The interventions can include inter alia creating pedestrian-friendly streets in high footfall areas, re-imagining under-flyover spaces, re-vitalizing dead neighbourhood spaces, and creating walking links through parks and institutional areas.
Various stakeholders
- Fit India Mission, under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, along with the India program of the Institute for Transport Development and Policy (ITDP) has partnered with the Smart Cities Mission to support the challenge.
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Road and Highway Safety – National Road Safety Policy, Good Samaritans, etc.
Private: Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD)
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD)
Mains level: Need to curb Road fatalities in India
The government has launched a central accident database management system that will help in analysing causes of road crashes and in devising safety interventions to reduce such accidents in the country.
Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD)
- The IT tool, known as the IRAD has been developed by the IIT-Madras and will be implemented by the National Informatics Centre.
- The project costs ₹258 crore and is being supported by the World Bank.
- The system will be first piloted in the six States with highest fatalities from road crashes — Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
- The IRAD will be improved on the basis of the learnings from the trial, following which it will be rolled out across the country.
How it works
- The IRAD mobile application will enable police personnel to enter details about a road accident, along with photos and videos, following which a unique ID will be created for the incident.
- Subsequently, an engineer from the Public Works Department or the local body will receive an alert on his mobile device.
- He or she will then visit the accident site, examine it, and feed the required details, such as the road design.
- Data thus collected will be analysed by a team at IIT-M, which will then suggest if corrective measures in road design need to be taken.
- Road users will also be able to upload data on road accidents on a separate mobile application, which is expected to go live.
Why need such a database?
- India sees the largest number of road fatalities in the world.
- More than 1.5 lakh people lost their lives in road crashes in the country in 2018, according to government data.
- Of the total people killed in road crashes in 2018, 48% were between 18 years and 35 years old, and more than 60% of such fatalities were due to overspeeding.
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