We should take a holistic look at transportation safety

livemint.com:

Vande Bharat Express trains symbolize the fulfilment of growing aspirations, whereas expressways being constructed by the government are transforming road connectivity. We now have the world’s second biggest road network, having overtaken China’s (as with population) but not America’s. As for aviation, India’s “Hawaai chappal mein hawaai yatra" (air travel in modest slippers) slogan was coined to capture and fulfil the dream of modestly-earning citizens to travel by air, like their better-off counterparts.

While easy and affordable transportation is clearly good for Indian consumers and the economy, safety does not get the desired attention or resources. In India, there are dedicated national-level regulatory bodies that typically provide safety frameworks for their respective transport sectors, investigate accidents, collate safety statistics, monitor safety performance and undertake enforcement action against organizations, all of which fall short of the required standards. To ensure rail safety, the Commission on Railway Safety (CRS) works under the administrative control of the ministry of civil aviation.

This is an excellent example of arms-length governance, ensuring that the CRS can function independently of the railways ministry. A total of 35 rail accidents were reported in 2021-22, as against 22 during the pandemic year 2020-21. The number of fatalities caused by train accidents increased to 17 against just 4 in 2020-21.

In the recent Balasore train crash, 275 people died and more than 1,000 people were injured. This was a freak case, if we look at the recent record of Indian Railways. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the regulatory body for civil aviation; it also deals with safety issues.