Complete breakdown of road safety systems: Kerala HC directs Police to take action against offending vehicles

Kerala High Court on Friday directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, Kochi to ensure that all the measures and instructions that have been taken and issued by the police against offending vehicles be put into operation without any reservation.

The Court observed that the number of road accidents in the state is "mind-boggling." The Court gave the direction while initiating the suo moto proceedings following an accident which killed a youth who was driving a two-wheeler which was hit by a private bus at Kochi.

The single bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran has further observed, "It is a complete breakdown of our road safety systems. How can there be so many accidents? We must understand that even these complaints that are coming in might only be 50 or 60 per cent. There may be several other small accidents on the roads.

"If we look at the priority on roads, the first priority is for pedestrians. The last priority is for large vehicles, as per the international code. One cannot countenance the stand of any person that they will drive recklessly and kill people, but still cannot be proceeded against under the legal scheme. Despite the issuance of several orders under the hope that the drivers of the buses would understand the gravity of the situation, the situation was not changing on the ground. The recklessness of drivers and even abject disdain for the orders of this Court are now so glaring that it cannot be lost sight of."

The Amicus Curiae Vinod Bhat submitted in the Court that the orders issued by the court are heeded by the drivers only for a very short period, and that they go back to their usual selves perhaps because they had no fear of the law at all.

The matter has been posted for further consideration on February 24, within which time the Senior Government Pleader was directed to place on record a report by the DCP in this regard.

( With inputs from ANI )

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