The curve on the road that was believed to have contributed to the fatal outcome of Tuesday’s car crash is a known accident-prone area. The GHMC was said to be re-engineering the stretch to make it safe for driving.
As vehicles coming from KBR Junction proceed towards Srinagar Colony Junction on Road Number 3 Banjara Hills, a sharp curve extending for about 100 metres in length on the road is encountered less than 300 metres before reaching the junction. While peak traffic hours make it impossible to drive at speeds that can lead to accident, non-peak hours permit for high-speed driving as the road slopes steeply towards the junction. Given the risk of a crash at high speeds, the traffic police informed the GHMC of it.
“With the data from previous accidents, we have to reduce the gradient of the slope and straighten the curve. We have already moved a proposal to acquire a property there in order to do that,” said Venkat Reddy, a senior official with the GHMC’s Traffic and Transportation wing.
The last major accident which resulted in fatalities at the same spot occurred in September 2015. That accident claimed three lives. Though the police and the GHMC were aware of the risks the curves posed, the road along the mosque abutting it could only be widened, the curve or the steepness were not addressed.
“While the GHMC works on re-engineering the road, we will place rumblers and signage along the curve to create awareness about the risk of speeding on that stretch,” said V. Ravinder, Joint Commissioner of Police for Traffic, Hyderabad city.
