Citizen Feedback on the Panel Discussion titled Reflecting on Tragedy : Lessons from the Horrific Dehradun Road Accident

Anoop Nautiyal, SDC Foundation , Ddun

Context I was recently invited to participate in a panel discussion at the Crime Literature Festival that was held in Dehradun. Our discussion was titled, Reflecting on Tragedy : Lessons from the Horrific Dehradun Road Accident. Since this is a subject that involves and impacts each one of us, I thought of seeking citizen feedback on the above topic.

Purpose The idea behind this exercise was to consolidate the citizen feedback and hand it over to Shri Ajai Singh, the SSP of Dehradun who was a participant in the above panel discussion. Shri Satish Sharma, the editor of the daily Garhwal Post moderated the panel discussion. The consolidated feedback can also be shared with other functionaries working in the domain of road safety in Dehradun and/or Uttarakhand.

Outcome A total of 23 responses were received over WhatsApp and Email. Suggestions and feedback were received not only from the people of Dehradun or Uttarakhand, but also from those living as far away as New Zealand and the United States of America.

Executive Summary The following five summarized points emerge as the key themes or expectations based on the citizen feedback received from various quarters.

1. Enforcing Strict Action

This is perhaps the most prominent feedback and expectation. Citizens demand that the government and authorities take a firm stand on various violations. There is a call for increased vigilance and monitoring, stricter fines for traffic violations, and decisive action against issues such as open roadside drinking and non-use of helmets. Public frustration with daily VIP movement is evident, with people urging the police to act without bias or hesitation. The prevailing sentiment is “spare none,” with a strong expectation that the Uttarakhand Police will establish a distinct reputation (USP) for strict traffic management.

2. Promoting Road Safety and Traffic Etiquette

There is a significant need for efforts focused on road safety education and promoting responsible traffic behavior. Regular awareness campaigns and training sessions should be organized for various stakeholders, with road safety classes starting at the school level. A concerted effort is required to instill proper traffic etiquette and civic sense among the public.

3. Revisiting Laws, Staffing, and Licensing

There is a call to review and strengthen existing laws to make them more effective. Ensuring vehicle fitness is crucial, but there are concerns about the current capacity to enforce this. Of particular concern is the ease with which licenses can be obtained. The system for issuing licenses needs a complete overhaul. Citizens also suggest the introduction of stringent drinking-and-driving laws similar to those in the United States.

4. Improving Road Infrastructure

Multiple issues related to road conditions, traffic lights, parking facilities, wine shops, dividers, signage, lane markings, and street lighting have been highlighted. Solutions such as the use of dashcams and the deployment of well-equipped ambulances have been proposed. There is also a need to improve road geometry and riding quality.

5. Assigning Accountability

There is an expectation that various stakeholders take responsibility. Parents must ensure that underage or unlicensed individuals are not given access to vehicles. Bar managers, pub owners, and party hosts must also be held accountable for ensuring safe practices. Finally, responsibility for road safety needs to be fixed at all levels of government, from top officials to the lowest ranks.

To recap, while there are many comments and tons of feedback; I felt that it would make it easy with the above executive summary to get a gist of the overall feedback. To know in detail, please refer to pages 4 to 20 of the enclosed document.

Finally, the next step is to hand over this document to the SSP of Dehradun and to other functionaries in the government. We are unfortunately losing many people due to road accidents in Uttarakhand. One can just hope that the state government and its various agencies will work in all earnestness to reduce road accidents and that this crowd sourced document of citizen feedback and expectations will be of some support in aligning focus and resources for this life saving mission.