Inaugurating a seminar on "strengthening traffic management systems and improving road safety" here, Singh said the burgeoning problem of traffic and resulting accidents and other hazards have "not really been getting the due attention".
"I think the solution to this (traffic) problem should begin with policies..It has to begin with policy...First of all we have to educate our policy makers that this is the world you are entering, this is what you will get to see and this is what you have to prepare for...Increasing migration increasing urbanisation and therefore you will have to invest more (on these subjects)," Singh said.
The policymakers are grappling with more fundamental problems like poverty, health care, delivery of food at affordable prices...These are the priorities which occupy the mind of our leaders, he said at the seminar, organised by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) along with traffic agencies in private domain.
The Home Secretary said steps should be taken to "discourage individual transport and push people towards public transport" and that such a transport should be convenient.
The three-day seminar which will debate a host of causes and solutions to meet the challenge posed by the rapidly increasing volume traffic and accidents, will present its recommendations to the Home Ministry after deliberations.
BPRD is the nodal department under the Home Ministry to undertake research and development projects in subjects related to policing and law and order.
According to official data, road accidents claimed the maximum number of lives, 1.43 lakh people in 2011, as compared to insurgency (1,399 deaths) and natural calamities (23,690 deaths) during the same period. MORE