Do You Text and Drive?

Why Scrapping of Point System Looks Sloppy

Because it doesn't seem to be backed by a rigorous analysis of the impact the current system has had on the safety of our roads. Minister Bodha might want to replace it with a "simpler" system of 7-8 serious road offences but I think he is confusing a simplistic system with a simple one. And this could be bad news for all road users. Well, save one.

When people have looked at the effect of such a system elsewhere they found -- like in Spain -- that it saved 618 lives over the first 18 months of its implementation. That's a reduction of 14.5% of the number of road fatalities. Of course experiences will vary across countries which is why we need to know the hard facts of our own. Especially since we have about the same amount of people dying on our roads as Norway. Which has four times more people than us.

The last time Mauritius tried the "simpler" route for something fundamental was in 2006 when one toxic bean-counter -- in the name of robust growth rates -- flattened our tax structure to 15%.

Did QZ8501 Crash Because of Bad Planning?

It's not a secret that the number of planes flying at any moment in time has been increasing. We know that when we check passenger statistics and the number and size of plane orders announced by major airlines. We can also get a nice visual of a region of interest. 

So what seems to have happened with Flight QZ8501 is that there were no paths at 38,000 feet -- to escape a thunderstorm -- that were free. Looks like someone said it was ok to fly that many planes. I guess it's ok on a day of clear weather.

There are limits to everything.

Firemen Extricate Victims of Road Accident

Rose-Hill Transport Takes Service To New Levels

With its two brand new Yutong semif-floor buses which are according to Mr. Sharma structurally stronger and provide a more comfortable and secure ride. For only Rs6 more. They come with a camera and will set RHT back by Rs4 million a piece. Kind of happy to see this given what I said five years ago.

In the meantime the NTC is buying buses via a tender. Shouldn't we scrap this process and empower the CNT to buy buses that make sense?

State Flip Flops On the CNT

First it reallocates routes to private companies because a number of the CNT buses are apparently unfit for our roads. That seemed to have been discovered right after 11 people died recently in a gruesome accident in Soreze. And then workers strike because they feel it's a disguised attempt to privatise their organisation essentially asking why would the most profitable lines be transferred if not to further weaken the company.

Government then u-turns under pressure and hands back the lines. The strike stops but then on Friday Cabinet maintains the reallocation of the routes saying it cannot play with the security of passengers.

Now, isn't that funny? Tolerance for killer buses doesn't seem to be uniform among cabinet members. It would be interesting to find out the safety features of the CNT buses compared to let us say those of the official cars that are provided to Ministers. And about the operational history of each of the buses that the CNT bought over the last 20 years or so. Not bad either if we could be told what exactly was done after the accident in Montebello in 2009 where four people lost their lives.

By the way, how come the state buys sophisticated transport equipment like the Airbus A-340 and then buys crap for the travelling citizens. That too after an early harvest and a bumper crop?

2012: The Year in Review (Q4)

October: PRB report published. Big B turns 70. Felix goes supersonic. Biden-Ryan debate felt more presidential. Apple launches the iPad mini. Gotham prepares for Sandy's visit.

November: Boolell explains Romney's defeat. Zlatan christens stadium with wonder goal. 44% of poll see sweep for Remake. Jimi turns 70. How you know a politician is a socialist. Killer to strike again. Hard-earned anti-inflation credibility at risk.

December: PM claims large victory in village elections. A good reason for men to quit smoking. Municipal voters send multiple signals. Sitar genius dead at 92. State fails more than 9,000 CPE students. Obama reacts to Connecticut tragedy. Kozelidir Person of the Year 2012 attributed to the CPE student for putting up with a badly designed learning process.
     
Read the review for Q1, Q2, Q3.

Killer To Strike Again

This is a post that I was supposed to write for more than a year now. Since then many terrible accidents have happened. Including the one above ten days ago where three died. Far too many people are dying on our roads and the policy response has literally been nonexistent. We are instead wasting precious collective energy on bean-counting while putting irrelevant surveys like Doing Business on a costly pedestal.

So until things change and better vibrations bless our country you better watch out.

Minister Loses Son in Car Accident

20-year old Shiva Chedumbrum was on his way to school when his car was involved in accident.

I have stopped counting the number of fatal road accidents. It seems that Mauritius is putting an increasingly smaller value on the life of her citizens.

How Many Should Die in an Accident?

Depends where it happens. If two trains collide in Germany there may be only crumpled steel involved. Two trains collide in India and hundreds of lives are lost. Mauritian life preservation norms seem to be closer to those of the subcontinent. Well at least for ordinary citizens if we look at recent severe road accidents: sugar truck flattening a bus and a lorry killing 12 passengers of a van two days ago.

We don't have to brace ourselves for more horrific events like these if we start managing better.

Heavy Trucks Should Be Better Monitored

In view of the high number of road deaths that they have been involved with recently and their potential to inflict heavy damage and paralyse traffic for a good couple of hours monitoring of these heavy vehicles has to be stepped up immediately. And given that many of them travel when they have the roads all by themselves the police should make sure that the drivers feel that they are constantly being watched. Other road users should also do their bit by sharing the information with the authorities in real time.

Mobile Use as Bad as Drunk Driving

So says a 2003 study a copy of which was released in the New York Times today. The report which can be read here estimated that multitasking behind the wheel was responsible for about 1,000 deaths and 240,000 accidents in 2002 in America. Or if you prefer, taking a call while driving will make you 4 times more likely to crash compared to ignoring it. So will texting messages. And no, that little thing you wear on your ear doesn't make the roads any safer.