[sustran] Child injury prevention

[kisansbc at bom5]

Dear Friends,

Well written article by Ian Roberts and Carolyn Diguiseppi (received 
Email on 31.08.99) is an eye opener.  Not only the number of  deaths of
children due to road traffic crashes, drowning and fires is alarming but
exposes the neglect of the community and the government.  People have no
idea of the enormity of the avoidable loss of life.

The situation  in the developing countries probably has not been fully
appreciated.   Centres of human settlements especially cities are getting
crowded due to in migration from villages.  There is no semblance of land
use planning, schools and health care centres located on busy roads and
thorough fares attract citizens.School run more than one shift with
students compelled to stroll on busy roads till their classes start. 
Schools do not necessarily have open space, sometimes run in hired rooms in
multistoreyed buildings, again overcrowded due to other users. Many roads
have no pavements or in inadequate pavements encroached upon by hawkers,
parked cars etc. Crossing faciliteis do not exist
and/or are not respected by  motorists.

Globalisation has increased the number of vehicles.  Mumbai's estimated
population 13 million in 434 sq km, has 3/3.5% increase in population
annually while vehicles increase by 7%. Every inch of space is usurped by
stationary rather than moving vehicles.  Practically all vehicles are to be
found increasingly on our roads.  65% of population stays in slums abutting
roads and open spaces.

The government promotes motorisation.  State governments invite foreign car
companies to st up their units in their respective states. The Maharashtra
Govt offered to allot 125 ha of land, to be selected by the manufacturer to
Ford, the largest car company of the world free of charge! The car owner
odes not have to pay  any annual charges towards phenomenal road
construction/maintenance costs to the municipality.  Mumbai municipality
spends Rs.1.8 billion towards road maintenance/construction without
receiving anything from car owners. Bus commuter pays three different
charges to the municipalised bus service amounting to Rs.0.6 billion on
(Ind Rs.42 make a US Dollar) for paying to the government.

The most glaring example of govt is for motor cars bias provided by the
following situation.

Mumbai has a suburban facility providing about 5 million      journeys
daily, accounting for 40% of the total journeys by the Indian Rlys
throughout the country.  For Mumbai citizens railway though heavily
overcrowded is a convenient commuting facility.  In one sector of about 10
km of railway tracks are encroached by slums-they are perched hardly 45 cm
away.  About 30000 slum families area involved.  Trains slow down to inches
causing serious hardship to cmmuters. Shifting and rehabilitation of these
slums is estimated to cost Rs.58-60 billion.  The govt has no money! Slum
dwellers are under constant threat of death!! On the other hand, the govt
has undertaken construction of flyovers costing Rs.180 billion and is
proposing construction of elevated roads and trans harbour sea links at a
cost of Rs.1000 billion.  Motor cars will not pay this cost.  Public bus
service will not be able to use these monstrocities. Bus stops will be
shifted 300 to 800 metres farther from the present most convenient halts. 
The municipalised bus service - BEST Undertaking provides 4.5 to 5 million
journeys daily, unique for any city of the world.

Globalisation has wrought disaster in the developing countries. Consumerism
is promoted without any consideration for life or convenience of the
citizens.  Govt priorities make politicians to extend all facilities to
overseas manufacturers to bring their outmoded models.  Introduction of
foreign cars-Suzuki, Mercedes, BMW,  secondhand cadilac costs Indian
exchequer an estimated Rs.1000 billion a year . 

Risk to citizens including hazard to children are o no concern.  We doubt
where the developing countries keep statistics or studies of road
fatalities, death by drowning or fire.  What can we do?  Individual citizen
protects are drowned in flyovers

Kisan Mehta
President
Save Bombay Committee