Dimapur, MarCH 4 (MExN): In yet another vehicular accident that not only puts to test traffic enforcement agencies of Dimapur but also tells upon for a more pronounced intensified correction measures to curb the alarmingly increasing instances of traffic violations, a middle-aged man was run over by a speeding car at 6 Mile, Dimapur Saturday around 10:00 AM. The unidentified man, aged 45 years was run over by a Maruti Alto after which the car fled. The victim’s body has been kept at the Civil Hospital and yet to be identified. The culprit is still at large, police said.
Such instances of gory traffic accidents, although not uncommon in fast developing municipalities, have also come to correspond to the actual standing of traffic enforcement in urban areas, their reach as well as the attitude of the public towards observing vehicular norms. The Dimapur administration had, within the tenure of two preceding Deputy Commissioners, Joyti Kalash and Hekali Zhimomi, initiated measure to check vehicular accidents in and around the municipality, however with little success. The reasons for the measures failing to effectively check traffic violations are many
For instance, wearing of helmets but never a check on speeding for two-wheelers or orders against faulty parking but no measures against random multi-lane passways. In other words most steps were mainly of preventive nature rather than corrective.
Dimapur Superintendent of Police Bidhu Shekhar passing an order stipulating certain speed limits for vehicles recently has still yet to prove its mettle. But accidents such as the one mentioned above are telling examples of how people still perceive traffic –traffic in the absence of stringent enforcement mechanisms is still traffic banana republic. And worse, the speed regulations are only for “educating the people” or at least initially according to SP Shekhar. Admitting that the people were still unaware of traffic rules Shekhar said that the order would be only for education. “But boards on the order would soon be put up at different locations” Shekhar interjected.
While admitting that accidents had happened even after the order the SP said that intensified measures would be taken. He placed the blame on public’s ignorance or indifference to traffic rules. Wearing of helmets and faulty parking, would be re-enforced and defaulters would face traffic music, he added.
