It has been pointed out that the Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Chennai, has the smallest fleet of buses among the Indian metros, yet it has the dubious record of more fatal bus accidents than those in any other metro. Chennai's MTC fleet of 3622 buses accounted for 104 deaths in 2012. Mumbai has the best record, its 4607-strong fleet of buses accounting for only 26 deaths in that year. Bengaluru has the largest fleet of 6437 buses and accounted for 83 deaths in 2012.

It has long been pointed out that vehicle manufacturers have a role in ensuring road safety. In the 1960s, consumer activist Ralph Nader proceeded against the three giant auto manufacturers of the US for their vehicles being unsafe at any speed. His relentless campaign finally compelled the automobile producers to focus on safety. Indian automobile manufacturers have not been focussing in required measure on the vital aspect of road safety.

It has been suggested in the past that buses in large cities should be fitted with automatic transmissions; the strain on bus drivers in such cities is mainly due to the need for frequently engaging the clutch and brake pedals and shifting gears when driving vehicles on congested roads over long distances in the cities. Added to this discomfort is the location of the engine by the side of the driver's seat. Just imagine the driver's plight in a bus plying for two hours from Ayyappanthangal to Parrys!

With the speeds of buses and heavy vehicles in the metro meant to be no more than 40 km per hour, there is the need for speed governors that will ensure this. This has yet to be done, and so drivers are free to drive at any speed they wish. Delhi brought down bus accident fatalities to 68 in 2012 after it introduced speed governors.

Chennai metropolis suffers from yet another behavioural issue. Political parties, Government employees and groups of communities regularly organise protests on various issues. The number of protests in Tamil Nadu was 15,746 in 2012 against Maharashtra's 8289 and Karnataka's 5013. Bus drivers are not exempted from protesting thus or being themselves victims of such protests. It is common knowledge that drivers of public transport vehicles are often a law unto themselves. Any stringent action taken by the police on gross violations has been met with instant dislocation of traffic by haphazard parking of vehicles. The politically strong labour unions also make it difficult for the police to issue a ticket to a bus driver, or even to a driver of an auto-rickshaw, for a traffic violation. The Traffic Department has to stop treating these killers-on-the-road with kid gloves.

Yet another cause for the worrying number of deaths on our roads relates to corruption and the role of speed money in getting driving licences. In the film Indian, director Shankar graphically depicted the scenario in regional transport offices. He had clearly and truly hit the nail on the head. While fitness certificates and licences are often issued without prescribed examinations, dozens of driving schools have mushroomed all over the State making it possible to obtain driving licences without the stipulated tests.

The Centre has streamlined the issue of passport by taking recourse to information technology. The involvement of TCS has helped eliminate corruption and abuse in quick time. The Tamil Nadu Government will do well to invite likewise a corporate house of repute to handle the job of issuing driving licences under government oversight.

I would like to stress once again the role of vehicle manufacturers. I had suggested earlier that this prosperous segment accounting for a significant share of the GDP should play a more positive role in societal concerns on road safety. It should be possible for the large oil companies and manufacturers of vehicles and components to set up driving schools in each one of the 600-odd districts and assist the State Governments in this vital task. Large auto companies like BMW in Germany have been actively involved in assisting cities in traffic engineering and planning. Similarly, large auto companies in Tamil Nadu should take care of such tasks in metros and cities near which they produce their vehicles.

Equally important, we should place cameras on our roads that will capture violations. Such violations should be met with punitive action with no leeway for anyone to interfere with the process. This has worked well abroad. It will work well in India also. (Courtesy: Industrial Economist)