On 15th of January 2017, our mother went for a morning walk near Inorbit Mall, Malad and was hit by a speeding water tanker while crossing the road on zebra crossing. This fatal accident took place during the Road Safety Week of 11th to 17 January 2017. The driver absconded for a while and surrendered only on knowing that the police had his details. He was booked under various sections for negligent and reckless driving. A week after this horrific incident, he was released on bail. Furthermore, to add to the grief, there is no CCTV footage of this gruesome accident due to installed yet non-functional cameras.

Our mother was a law-abiding, responsible and of cautious nature who would follow all rules while crossing the road and yet she met such a tragic end. Such incidents can be avoided in future if the concerned authorities take immediate action at all popular, busy, residential junctions and especially at the Inorbit Mall junction, Malad.

As we continue to draw attention to road safety, we realize that making roads safe is not the work or responsibility of one single department. It is a coordinated effort of BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation), MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority), Motor Vehicles Department, Regional Transport Office (RTO, Maharashtra) and the Mumbai Traffic Police.We petition each of the mentioned authorities as follows:

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC); Commissioner Shri Ajoy Mehta: 

1.    Installing Speed breakers at all popular, busy and residential junctions like the Inorbit Mall, Malad to slow down the speed of huge water tankers, BMC dumpers and reckless driver.

2.    Repainting Zebra Lines and painting Stop Lines in the suburbs especially at those traffic signals where the lines are barely visible or do not exist. It will also enable the traffic police to enforce traffic rules strictly.

3.    Fixing non-functional CCTV cameras and ensuring that CCTV cameras at all the major residential and busy junctions like the Inorbit mall are functioning.

4.    Clear foot-paths for pedestrian walking. Most of the foot-paths have been encroached by hawkers, illegal constructions and garages, leaving no space for pedestrians to walk.  

5.    Smoothly paved roads instead of uneven, patchy and rough roads repaired in bits and pieces.

6.    Tightening of pothole coverings left carelessly loose by the workers making it hazardous for pedestrian walking past them.

7.    Enforcing speed limits of 40 Kms in residential area for all water tankers, trucks and BMC dumpers

8.    Putting traffic signage on the roads indicating speed limits and cautioning drivers of reducing speed due to the presence of schools and malls in the vicinity

9.    Making traffic islands to enable safe crossing for pedestrians across wider roads

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA); Director of Projects, Shri Murthy:

1.    Create temporary dividers for the safety of pedestrians crossing roads

2.    Ensure that the barricades are not covering the traffic signal and pedestrians can see the traffic light changing while crossing the road

3.    Have traffic marshals ensuring public safety especially during peak hours and regular school timings

4.    Strictly enforce safety regulations at the site – traffic cones, barriers, etc.

Motor Vehicles Department, Regional Transport Authority, Maharashtra; Hon. Minister of Transport and Land Development, Shri Diwakar Raote

1.    Define speed limits of maximum 40Kms/hour for heavy vehicles like trucks, water tankers, BMC dumpers especially in residential areas

2.    Regulate rickshaw permits in suburbs

3.    Impose strict punishments or compensations to control reckless, speed driving

4.    Enforce BMC to install traffic signage indicating speed limits, public events, work-in-progress, etc.

Mumbai Traffic Police; Commissioner Shri Datta Padsalgikar and Jt.Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Shri Milind Bharambe

1.    Enforcing strict speed regulations

2.    Ensuring pedestrian safety

3.    Having more man-power to regulate traffic during peak hours at junctions like the Inorbit Mall

4.    Public awareness campaigns for safety of pedestrians and drivers

5.    Empowering traffic police to strictly implement traffic rules

We lost our mother in a cruel and senseless manner. But her death has not been meaningless; it brought to notice the lapses in road safety especially in the Mumbai suburbs. Her accident has made us aware that changes are urgently required to make our roads safe. We would like to bring this incident to the notice of concerned authorities to initiate changes that will ensure safety for our senior citizen's, parents, children and all pedestrians.

I request all my dear friends, responsible citizens, fellow social media people to sign up, follow and spread the cause of making roads safer, no matter which corner of the country you reside in.