Pune: Employees in the Hinjawadi IT Park have demanded measures to prevent loss of life in road accidents, presenting a petition to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police on Saturday. This move comes after recent reports by multiple media outlets, where it was said that almost 40 deaths have taken place in road accidents in the IT belt of Pune District on this side, which houses the IT hubs of Hinjawadi and Wakad.
A team of IT employees, led by the Forum of IT Employees (FITE), visited the Hinjawadi Police Station and met Senior Police Inspector Balaji Pandhare, in charge of the station. Various techies claimed that heavy vehicles are one of the biggest reasons for the increasing deaths in road accidents.
On 17th November, a woman named Tanvi Sakhare died in front of Life Republic Housing Society near Hinjawadi in a road mishap involving a dumper. After that, it was reported that 36 deaths have taken place this year alone in this IT belt. After that, three additional fatal accidents happened within a couple of days.
Almost all these accidents involve heavy vehicles. Recognising their danger and contribution to increasing traffic congestion, Pimpri-Chinchwad Police have banned the movements of heavy vehicles in peak times since August. However, these accidents continue.
FITE Chairman Pavanjit Mane said, “Yet another incident was lost in an accident involving a heavy vehicle. This was not an isolated incident but a recurring pattern of negligence and lack of safety measures. The loss due to road accidents in an area like Hinjawadi is unacceptable. Hinjawadi is one of India's major tech corridors.”
FITE Meets Hinjawadi Police; Demands Measures:
On Saturday, the panel of Hinjawadi employees led by FITE met officials from Hinjawadi Police Station. At that time, they demanded the following things:
1) Mandatory GPS-Based Monitoring of Heavy Vehicles.
2) Installation of Cabin and Dashboard Cameras in Heavy Vehicles.
3) Anti-Collision & Proximity Sensors in Heavy Vehicles.
4) Side & Rear Camera to Avoid Blind Spots for Drivers in Heavy Vehicles.
5) Mandatory Safety Technology Standards, including seat belts and airbags in passenger seats for every vehicle. Heavy vehicle drivers should have this too.
6) A driver must be experienced, skilled and technically approved to handle a heavy vehicle by a recognised authority.
Prashant Pandit, Secretary of FITE, said, “We also demand that vehicle manufacturers and contractors be held accountable for deploying heavy vehicles without these safety measures. Police and RTO should jointly initiate enforcement, awareness and inspection drives to ensure that all heavy vehicles meet these minimum safety standards.”
