New road signage must be installed professionally for safety of motorists (EDITORIAL)
Road signage plays an important role in regulating vehicular traffic. It goes without saying that a professionally displayed signage system helps in ensuring road safety. The State Road Safety Council meeting chaired by the Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho earlier this week finally decided to install signage across the state. The road signage system in the state is poor and in need
of an overhaul.
Godinho on Monday said that the PWD would float tenders shortly as part of a comprehensive strategy to address the state’s persistent road safety challenges.
Road safety weeks are organised in the state, and the inauguration programme is held with much fanfare. However, signage and road markings hardly get any attention. The investment for these is not much compared to other measures like AI-based signals, which the minister also spoke about at the meeting. To help pedestrians cross roads, there are pedestrian crossings at many places. However, one reason why motorists don’t stop to allow pedestrians to cross is the non-existence of zebra crossings. So, when a pedestrian is knocked down by a motorist, the man behind the wheel is booked. The fact is that there was also negligence on the part of the authorities. Who will book them? There is no accountability in our system, which is one major cause of accidents. The paint used for zebra crossings doesn’t remain for long, and the next coat of paint will not come soon, maybe just before some election! It is deplorable that pedestrians are not protected by the law enforcers. This year alone, seven were killed in the state.
Particularly in the monsoon, one sees signage covered with creepers, and till the rains are over, motorists have to make do without the signage. The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways gives a lot of importance to signage. They are categorised into three: mandatory, cautionary and informative. Mandatory signs refer to orders that must be obeyed to prevent legal action. Cautionary signs are used to warn road users about potential dangers or safety hazards on the road. This gives the driver enough time to handle emerging situations. These signs are meant to provide information on direction, destination, roadside utilities, institutions, etc. The state authorities are expected to follow the signage guidelines issued by MoRTH. Even when some work is being carried out along the highways, there is no proper signage warning motorists of the threat to road safety. Proper signage will always help prevent an accident or a tragedy.
They are required not only for national highways but also for state highways and major district roads, among others. On a positive note, some panchayats have put up signage alerting about speed breakers or sharp turns, with many even giving names of wards. These are helpful to new visitors to the village.
It will not be the first time that the government will install road signage. Which agency does it is secondary. Maybe GSIDC could do a better job. However, what is important is that the wordings, markings, size and installations should be professionally done. Fluorescent signs must also be used at important spots. Otherwise, they are blind spots for motorists at night. Just putting up signage and signboards is not everything: there has to be proper maintenance. The maintenance cannot be just before the monsoon but also needs to be done midway during the season. Hopefully, the government will install new signage and revisit the existing ones soon, in the interest of commuters.
