Road safety is paramount in safeguarding lives, minimising injuries, and preventing road fatalities. It is essential to ensure that traffic systems function orderly and efficiently to facilitate smoother travel for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. The Kolkata Police realises that by prioritising road safety, they can foster a culture of responsible driving and create safer environments within communities. Let us learn more about their campaign for road safety through this conversation between The Kolkata PROTECTOR and Rupesh Kumar, IPS, Joint Commissioner of Police – Traffic.
Could you share with us about the impactful ‘Safe Drive, Save Life’ campaign?
Safe Drive, Save Life – a campaign initiated to make roads faster, safer, and friendlier- is earning mass popularity. Initiated by our Hon’ble Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on July 8, 2016, its goal is to significantly reduce road traffic accidents, make citizens realise the need to adhere to safe driving rules, ensure safer commuting, and foster a culture of responsible driving across the city.
What are key measures implemented to achieve its objectives?
To achieve the objectives, the campaign employs a multi-faceted approach centred around enforcement, awareness, and infrastructure development, executed in close collaboration with various stakeholders.
We have implemented robust enforcement measures to ensure road safety. Advanced traffic monitoring systems, such as CCTV cameras, speed guns, and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), help us keep a close eye on violations. We strictly enforce penalties for offences like drunk driving, speeding, rash driving, and failing to use helmets or seatbelts. Additionally, we have introduced designated pedestrian crossings, no-horn zones, and safe zones for cyclists to make our roads safer for everyone.
Our awareness campaigns take diverse approaches to educate and engage the public. We conduct workshops in schools, colleges, and offices to highlight the importance of traffic rules and safe driving. Creative outreach efforts, including street plays, billboard campaigns, and social media drives, have proven effective in spreading the message. Collaborating with public figures and influencers helps us reach a broader audience and foster a culture of responsible driving.
Infrastructure development is key to safer and more efficient urban transportation. We partner with agencies like the Public Works Department (PWD), Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), and Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) to improve road conditions through better signage, enhanced lighting, and solutions for accident-prone zones like smart signals, underpasses, and flyovers. Upgrades to road markings and lane dividers improve clarity and traffic flow. Expert consultations help tailor strategies to Kolkata’s unique needs, incorporating global best practices to reduce congestion and ensure sustainable mobility.
How has the campaign contributed to improving road safety in the city?
Since the inception of the ‘Safe Drive, Save Life’ campaign, we have seen a notable reduction in road traffic accidents and fatalities. Citizens have become more aware of road safety norms, and there has been a measurable improvement in compliance with traffic regulations. Kolkata’s roads are steadily becoming safer, reflecting the success of this ongoing initiative.
How does the Kolkata Police’s crash analysis process improve road safety?
First and foremost, I would like to emphasise the critical importance of coordination in our approach to road safety. When an accident occurs, we work with a reputed private institute to conduct a detailed crash analysis. This helps us find the root causes, gain insights, and take preventive action.
Our officers study factors like driver behaviour, vehicle condition, road design, and environmental issues to determine what caused the accident. High-risk areas, or black spots, are given priority for action. We then work with agencies like the PWD, KMC, and KMDA to address these issues by improving lighting, adding signs, fixing roads, and revising traffic patterns.
After making these changes, we monitor their impact and gather feedback to evaluate their effectiveness. This helps us improve our strategies and ensure ongoing road safety improvements for everyone.
How do District Road Safety Committee meetings drive collaboration and lead to improvements like crash barriers, median installations, and better illumination?
As per the mandate of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, we conduct monthly meetings of the District Road Safety Committee. These meetings serve as a vital platform where all stakeholders in road safety come together to assess progress, identify challenges, and propose actionable solutions. In 2024, around six such meetings were successfully conducted, demonstrating our commitment to upholding this mandate.
We review and discuss insights from crash analyses conducted with private institutes and our field officers. This includes root cause identification and recommendations for improvement.
Reports from OCs (Officer-in-Charge) and Sergeants performing field duties provide on-ground perspectives about traffic patterns, accident-prone areas, and enforcement challenges.
Feedback from citizens, collected via emails, social media handles, and direct interactions, is essential to our discussions. We carefully document suggestions and identify any shortcomings or gaps, ensuring their voices play a pivotal role in shaping road safety measures.
Regular coordination with agencies like the PWD, KMC, and KMDA, and entities such as the Metro Railway and KMRC, is crucial for addressing engineering, infrastructure, and illumination issues.
What are the achievements and improvements seen through these coordinations?
Through regular coordination, there has beena noticeable decline in road accidents and fatalities.
Basanti Highway: After identifying it as a high-risk area, we collaborated with the PWD, resulting in the installation of crash barriers. These barriers significantly reduced fatalities, marking a major milestone in our efforts. Additional steps included lane demarcations, speed limit signs, and enhanced enforcement measures to ensure safe driving conditions.
Diamond Harbour Road: We implemented similar measures on this key road as we did on the Basanti Highway, resulting in significant infrastructure improvements and enhanced safety for commuters.
Median Barriers: In collaboration with the Metro Railway and KMRC, we installed median barriers to prevent pedestrians from crossing at undesignated places. This measure has improved pedestrian safety and reduced accidents caused by jaywalking.
Illumination Improvements: We worked with KMC and PWD to enhance illumination, ensuring better visibility and safer travel during the night, especially in areas with insufficient lighting.
Iron Crash Barriers: We installed iron crash barriers in critical areas to minimise the impact of accidents, thereby reducing the severity of injuries and fatalities.
By focusing on infrastructure improvements, enforcement, and community involvement, we continue to make Kolkata’s roads safer and more reliable for all.
How do Kolkata Police’s daily, monthly, and annual awareness campaigns foster a culture of road safety and encourage responsible driving among citizens?
Creating awareness is the cornerstone of our road safety initiatives. Through daily efforts, monthly campaigns, and annual programmes, we aim to instil a sense of responsibility and awareness among all road users.
Our day-to-day campaigns focus on addressing immediate road safety concerns through direct interaction with the public.
Our monthly campaigns delve deeper into specific issues, such as seatbelt compliance, helmet usage, and pedestrian safety, ensuring a sustained and focused effort throughout the year.
We organise our flagship event, the ‘Annual Road Safety Week’,to amplify awareness across the city. This week features rallies and marches led by students, citizens, and police personnel; workshops and seminars on road safety measures and best practices, and interactive sessions with drivers, commuters, and other stakeholders.
Special awareness activities are organised for defaulter drivers to educate them about the consequences of their actions and encourage them to adopt safe driving practices. These sessions include discussions on the legal and ethical responsibilities of drivers, and real-life case studies highlighting the devastating impact of reckless driving.
To cultivate a culture of safety from a young age, our team conducts school visits where students are educated about traffic safety rules and the importance of following them, proper ways to cross roads, such as using zebra crossings and pedestrian signals, and recognising road signs and signals, and understanding their significance.
We also conduct targeted campaigns to address pressing concerns, such as:
Drink and Drive: We emphasise the dangers of driving under the influence and promote alternatives like designated drivers or app-based ride services.
Women’s Safety: We raise awareness about safety measures for women commuters, ensuring they feel secure on roads and in public transport systems.
Safe Speeding and Lane Discipline: We educate drivers about the importance of speed limits and maintaining lane discipline to prevent accidents.
These awareness campaigns have helped increase public compliance with traffic regulations. They have enhanced the safety of vulnerable groups, such as children and women, and encouraged community participation in road safety efforts, creating a collective responsibility towards safer roads.
How has the integration of the Bhangar area into the Kolkata Police jurisdiction improved traffic management, infrastructure development, and successful awareness campaigns in rural areas?
When Bhangar was brought under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Police, it marked a significant milestone in extending our traffic management and enforcement capabilities. To address the specific needs of this newly integrated area, we enhanced our traffic management capabilities by establishing a dedicated Traffic Guard to address the area’s unique needs. We installed traffic signages, road markings, and infrastructure improvements to streamline traffic and boost road safety, focusing on rural and semi-urban challenges.
To tackle these challenges, we launched awareness campaigns to educate locals about traffic rules. Many residents, especially those in rural areas, were not accustomed to wearing helmets or adhering to traffic rules. We were concerned about how the community would respond to these changes, given the shift from traditional practices. Despite initial hiccups, the community responded positively, embracing change for road safety.
We conduct targeted campaigns in schools and colleges where officers, including the OC (Officer-in-Charge), AC (Assistant Commissioner), and DC South (Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Division), personally visit schools and colleges in the area. These officers conduct interactive sessions to teach students about helmet use, traffic signals, and the importance of safe driving. Public meetings and community discussions further engaged the local population, building strong partnerships between Kolkata Police and the community.
How does the Kolkata Traffic Police plan to enhance road safety and establish Bhangar as a model for rural traffic management?
With the continued support and cooperation of the people, we aim to strengthen the road safety infrastructure in Bhangar and expand awareness campaigns to reach every segment of the population. We want to build on the positive momentum to ensure that Bhangar is a shining example of rural traffic management under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Traffic Police.
