Editorial: Indian Roads, of flawed designs and fatalities

A strong legislation that makes tougher penalties for not only traffic rule violators but also road designers and engineers is necessary to control the growing indiscipline on India’s roads

It is not very often that one comes across a senior minister making candid admission of the failings and flaws in the department under his or her watch. Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari, who has been handling the portfolio since 2014, deserves praise for his frank assessment of the reasons for the growing number of road accidents in the country. He hit the nail on the head when he said that defective road designs and faulty DPRs (Detailed Project Reports) prepared by engineers and consultants were responsible for the ever-increasing road fatalities. What is worse, there is zero accountability. Despite being a major cause of accidents, flawed road designs rarely get due attention of policymakers and other stakeholders. The general tendency is to blame reckless driving and poor law enforcement for mishaps. This virtually absolves the people involved in the planning and execution of road projects of any responsibility. Known for his outspokenness, Gadkari lamented that even small things like road signages and marking systems are very poor in the country. India needs to learn from countries like Spain, Austria and Switzerland in this regard. Because of small civil engineering mistakes, hundreds of deaths occur on Indian roads. It is also not uncommon to see even the newly-built roads develop cracks. Unfortunately, motorists suffer due to the lapses made by engineers and other officials. Terrible road conditions, utter disregard for traffic rules, ramshackle vehicles, the dangerous mix of vehicular traffic and untrained drivers make driving on Indian roads a nightmarish experience.

On the one hand, India has the second largest road network in the world, after the United States, but on the other, it has earned the dubious distinction of recording the highest number of road accident deaths globally year after year. In 2023, over 1.8 lakh people died in road mishaps across the country — a staggering average of 500 lives snuffed out every day. The laws governing transportation are archaic and need a complete overhaul. A strong legislation that makes tougher penalties for not only the traffic rule violators but also the road designers and engineers is necessary to control the growing indiscipline on India’s roads. However, stringent laws alone are not enough. The focus should be on effective implementation, sensitising the traffic enforcement authorities about the new guidelines and, more importantly, ensuring total compliance from road users. Unfortunately, such issues of immense public interest never figure in the agendas of political parties in India. India is a signatory to the United Nations road safety plan which aims to reduce road fatalities by 50 per cent by 2030. When over-speeding, illegal overtaking, travelling without seatbelts and jumping lights go unchecked and unpunished, every stretch of road becomes a public safety risk. Hopefully, Gadkari’s tough talk will help in bringing about a transformation on the ground.

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