VILLAGES & HIGHWAYS
Highway Literacy Programmes
India has one of the largest highway and road networks on the planet, second only to the road network of the United States. The total length of roads in the country exceeds 3.314 million kilometers. This tangle network consists of National Highways/Expressways 70,548 km, State Highways1,28,000 km, Major and other District Roads 4,70,000 km and Village Roads network of 26,50,000 km.
About 60 per cent of freight and 87.4 per cent passenger traffic is carried by the roads. Although National Highways and state highways constitute only about 6 per cent of the road network, it carries 40 per cent of the total road traffic. The number of vehicles has been growing at an average pace of around 10 per cent per annum. It is very important to provide for both present and future traffic an improved accessibility. In addition, road transport needs to be regulated for better efficiency, less pollution and enhanced road safety.
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Road accidents, in India cause very high loss of life.1, 08, 409 males and 18,487 females totaling 1, 26, 896 persons were killed during the year 2009, while traveling by various modes of transport on roads. 26,219 persons (20.7%) of these were riding on ‘Two-wheelers’, 25,136 (19.8%) were occupants of ‘Truck/Lorry’, 12,821 (10.1%) were killed while traveling in buses and 11,682 (9.2%) were traveling in car. |
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Almost 65 percent road accidents fatalities take place on 6 percent of our National & State highways. Road traffic passing through villages and small towns at high speed and inadequate road crossing facilities for villagers has increased the numbers and severity of accidents. Development of good roads has caused corresponding ribbon development of commercial and residential areas along the carriage ways. In the absence of foot paths, barriers, subways, overhead bridges, villagers are being force to risk their lives to walk, cycle, ride and commute on side of carriage ways making themselves vulnerable to severe road accidents.
A massive public awareness campaign, supported by government and local agencies, needs to be introduced. Road safety awareness camps should be organized, on regular basis, |
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| along the highways through electronic/ print media and professional agencies. Educative publicity material like pamphlets, posters etc., in regional languages, should be given to masses residing along the highways in villages, small towns under highway literacy programmes, instituted at war footing. |
Villagers should be made aware for their safety while traveling along highways as a pedestrian, cyclist or while riding locally improvised vehicles or tractor trolleys. Cycle rickshaw pullers, hand cart pullers and bullock cart drivers of passenger and freight transport modes ply in abundance in villages and small towns. As they do not require a license and are quite ignorant about road safety rules, their behavior affects the safety of all the road users.
IRSFM has formulated education topics through Highway Literacy Programmes, related to aspects of preventive measures on risks faced by different categories of highway users.
The target audience will be students, village folks & local drivers, police and transport agencies.
The various topics covered are as follows:
Present scenario along the highways
Knowledge of traffic rules and regulations
Language of the road.
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Understanding causes of high accident frequencies and locating black spots
Dos & Don’ts for pedestrian, cyclists and riders
Your visibility when its twilight and night
Effects of alcohol
First aid related to road traffic accidents
Reporting and handling emergencies
IRSFM, with their developed resources, would like to introduce such programmes to interested groups, dedicated members of community and schools. It also would partner with institutions, transport and commercial organisations to educate masses.
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| Villages & highways Curriculum designed & develops require inclusion in the school system. In programmes like mathematics, sciences and social studies, basic ides are being developed at an early age and gradually extending building on early leanings to higher levels of understandings. It should include social implications in the traffic scenarios to become courteous and develop a positive attitude culture. One should grow knowledge, skills & techniques for safe and responsible road usages and abide law related issues. |
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