BENGALURU: Badly planned and poorly maintained highways are costing the lives of motorists due to frequent accidents even as officials look the other ways.
Take the case of NH-7 between Bengaluru and Hosur. The Elevated Tollway Pvt Ltd, the concessionaire, is responsible for the upkeep of the highway, but seems to be only bothered about collecting toll while the number of accidents are rising with every passing day. Speed breakers have been laid unscientifically and there are no proper signages. Also, the speed breakers do not have zebra markings.
Numerous accidents take place near Attibele, Old Chandapura, Tirumagondanahalli, Bommasandra, Electronics City, Yadavanahall and Veerasandra. Every day, there is at least one accident near Tirumagondanahalli, and in the last eight years, there have been 111 major accidents which have claimed 37 lives.
As per the National Highways Authority of India, in 2018-19, there were 256 accidents which claimed 47 lives while 62 people were seriously injured. In 2020-21, there were 260 accidents which led to 48 deaths and 79 people sustaining injuries.
This year, there have already been 105 accidents leading to 36 deaths and 69 people sustaining grievous injuries.
“We fear coming out on to the road. It is very scary for women, the elderly and children and people are suffering a lot. The service road near Chandapura has not been cleared even afer 27-28 years. The authorities are just passing the buck. We don’t even know who is responsible and who is to be blamed for this mess”, rued Munireddy, a local.
The ongoing work in erecting the divider is also causing inconvenience to motorists and locals alike. There are no proper links to localities on either side of the highway and the underpasses are always locked. Hence, people are forced to risk their lives trying to cross the busy road.
Murali, another local resident, said, “Between Silk Board junction and Attibele, the passenger car unit per hour is 90,000 on the highway. The dividers are being erected unscientifically and what could have been done in 15 days is going even after 4-5 months. People have complained to the authorities, but to no avail. Traffic signal lights, blinkers and the paint on the speed breakers are not visible. The contractor had promised to rectify it, but even after 2-3 months, nothing has happened.
“Also, there are no highway patrol vehicles. Skywalks have not been erected where it is necessary. Motorists don’t follow lane discipline speed at 100-120 kmph. The officials responsible seem to be in a coma and people are dying due to their negligence”, he said.
Yet another resident, Prakash, pointed out that people do not use the skywalk and make use of the gaps in the divider. “There are no lifts in skywalks for aged people. There are no proper signages too. Accidents have become a daily affair,” he noted.