Citizens' Voice Club calls for road safety
Coimbatore Citizens' Voice Club, a consumer welfare organisation, has called for measures to step up safety on the roads. The organisation's secretary, C.M. Jeyaraam, has said in a press release that most of the traffic islands were not maintained properly and that signboards, hoardings, trees and plants hindered visibility.Traffic signals failed to function often owing to poor maintenance of bulbs. Sponsors of signals too do not take steps for good maintenance. The authorities concerned should end this problem. If the sponsors did not maintain the signals properly, the signage they had displayed at these spots should be removed. Mr. Jeyaraam said road dividers should be provided with solar reflectors, like those used in Bangalore, to prevent accidents. The entry of heavy vehicles into the city should be regulated and also monitored with the help of cameras.
The organisation alleged that many private parties put up speed breakers without observing any statutory guideline. Only rumble speed breakers should be laid and boards warning drivers of these should be installed. Footboards in buses should be designed to help the physically disabled, children and the elderly board without difficulty. Automatic doors should be provided to prevent footboard travel. These would also prevent drivers from starting the vehicles before all the passengers had boarded. Halting of buses on the middle of the road not only put the passengers into trouble but also obstructed traffic flow.
