Will count every pothole on roads and hold engineers accountable: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday warned that engineers will be held accountable for every pothole found on public roads, and ordered them to compile a comprehensive audit report identifying all potholes and defects on roads under their charge within two weeks [CP Ajithkumar & Anr v State of Kerala & Ors].

Justice Devan Ramachandran was hearing a case concerning public road safety.

He observed yesterday that road accidents caused by potholes or reckless driving could no longer be treated as isolated incidents.

The judge noted that every pothole could lead to a fatal road accident, adding that even if public roads in India are not up to international standards, they should at least be safe for commuters.

"Are (engineers) even looking at the roads and examining the potholes? Who takes responsibility for the 18-year-old’s death? His family?.. There are multiple violations on our roads. Even pedestrian footpaths are blocked in our State. An engineer must do continuous inspection so that potholes are not formed. The citizens are not asking you to keep international standards for the roads, we are only asking for roads that won’t kill us," he said.

Referring to an incident from Thrissur district, where a young man died after he was run over by a vehicle when he was trying to avoid a pothole, Justice Ramachandran added,

"Every engineer should be held responsible for the potholes. Next time I summon them, they will all be held accountable personally ... I want prevention, not cure. Today itself, I need an audit of every road by every engineer. We need a comprehensive report on record. We will count every pothole and hold engineers accountable."

The Court proceeded observe that a new culture has to be evolved where the authorities take more responsibility for maintaining public roads.

"Even one pothole on a busy road can be a killer. Every engineer will have to be held accountable. As a first step, each (engineer) must conduct an audit of all roads under their command and submit it through the Senior Government Pleader," the Court ordered.

It also underscored that initiatives suggested by the police and the Transport Department to curb reckless driving must be enforced scrupulously.

These directions come close in the heels of a recent tragic incident in Kochi, where an 18-year-old boy riding a scooter was killed after being hit by a private bus.

The amicus curiae had informed the Court that despite repeated warnings and earlier directions, potholes and road defects remained widespread across Kerala.

Justice Ramachandran had earlier summoned engineers of the Public Works Department (Roads) in the matter.

Expressing displeasure with the ineffective enforcement of traffic rules and road safety protocols, the Court on Tuesday added,

"You (State authorities) say you have camera systems, use it properly. What's the use of catching common citizens if you can't curb rash driving? ... There should be a clear message that reckless driving will not be tolerated and will be intercepted."

The Corporation of Kochi also informed the Court that roadwork on certain stretches had commenced following observations made in the previous hearing.

However, the Court noted that the core problem on major city roads persisted, and granted two weeks time to the senior government pleader to address these concerns.

Senior government pleader KV Manoj Kumar appeared for the State

Standing Counsel Santhosh Poduval appeared for Thrissur Corporation

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