Danger in the eye

Rods rule

Fatalities due to rash driving and poor quality of roads have become routine. Freak accidents caused by protruding rods and poles from cargo-laden trucks are also increasing. About a fortnight ago, members of a family were killed after iron rods protruding at least 10 feet out of a truck, impaled the front glass of their car and pierced the passengers. But were any lessons learnt?

All kinds of vehicles, including two-wheelers, mini-vans, trucks, tractors and even bullock and horse carts, are seen carrying cargo without taking any safety precautions and endangering the lives of other road users. Motorists point out that such vehicles are a sure recipe for disaster. Two-wheeler riders are sitting ducks for them.

Sudhansu Behera, an IT professional, says, “Overloaded mini-trucks and lorries find it hard to control speed and it is when they apply sudden brake that these accidents occur. I still remember, three months ago, I was riding near Tin Factory, near KR Puram, and the sight of an overloaded truck with protruding iron rods frightened me so much that I stopped and didn’t move until the vehicle had passed by.”  Sajeev Kumar S, an employee with Navriti Technologies, confesses that he has been witness to an accident wherein loosely tied protruding iron rods fell off a speeding truck and pierced the chest of a car driver who was behind the truck.

“I always see precariously fastened iron rods, pipes and bamboo shoots jutting out from heavy vehicles in traffic-prone areas in the City. All these are illegally transported and I don’t understand why the authorities don’t punish the offenders and instill some fear in them to make sure they don’t repeat the offence,” he wonders out aloud. He also states that many a times, these overloaded trucks become the main reason for traffic jams at most junctions. “These trucks occupy a lot of additional space. If the problem can’t be eliminated, at least the officials must do something to prevent the frequency of the offence,” he adds. 

Officials with the Road Transport Department say that they conduct regular drives to create awareness about the dangers of carrying materials that protrude beyond permissible limits. Section 125/177of the Motor Vehicle Act clearly states, “A fine amount of Rs 100 will be levied on anybody indulging in obstructive driving by carrying any thing which hampers the other road users.” Transport Commissioner Rame Gowda says, “The first offence attracts a fine amount of Rs 100 and if there are repeated offences, it could go up to Rs 2,000. We will also cancel the licence of these vehicle as and when recommended by the Bengaluru Traffic Police.” He further observes that overloaded vehicles are mostly visible on the highways and sometimes they are caught plying within the City as well.

Rame Gowda states that all these vehicles must take prior written permission to carry the material and ply on the road. “The vehicle owners will have to get written permission and in case they don’t, they are at the risk of getting their licences cancelled,” he adds. Experts in urban planning and management point out that the government must come up with definite, concrete and workable solutions to prevent overloading of trucks rather than claim that they are doing their job. Ashwin Mahesh, an expert in urban planning, suggests, “All commercial vehicles must have a container fit at the rear in which these rods can be placed. This will not only prevent the rods from protruding but will also indirectly increase the production of more trucks to transport these materials in a safe manner.”