The number of accidents on the National Highway 5 in Prakasam district has been on the rise and official apathy to implement the mandatory guidelines pertaining to road safety prescribed by the Indian Road Congress is said to be the reason.
The number of rear-end collision had gone up to 497 last year from the 411 in 2010, suggests a report compiled by the Road Transport Authority. As many as 1,380 road accidents have claimed 550 lives, apart from leaving 1,505 injured last year when compared to the 1,401 mishaps in 2010, in which 477 were killed and 768 injured, says the report.
The death of a youth near a speed breaker on the arterial highway near the QIS College junction, followed by another accident involving a Tirupati-bound RTC bus at the same place, recently have brought into sharp focus the absence of mandatory caution signboards, Forum for Good Governance president A. Venkateswara Rao says. Adding to the woes, road dividers on the expressway have broken at minimum 10 places between Thuravagunta and South bypass road within the city limits, allowing motorcyclists to cut across the road according to their whims and fancies. Taking a serious view of such cases, the Ongole Police booked Nellore-based National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) project director A.V. Rao under Section 336 of IPC on charges of negligence in implementing the road safety guidelines. “Though, speed breakers have been painted with alternate black and white bands, signboards warning drivers are yet to be put up, Ongole DSP G. Srinivas Rao says.
Over-speeding of vehicles, drunken driving, parking of vehicles on driving lanes of NH and violation of lane discipline are among the reasons for the spurt in the accident, suggests the RTA report. “Despite toll plazas collecting hefty toll fee from motorists, attention is not being been paid to improvement of passenger amenities and putting up caution boards,” feels Confederation of AP Consumers Organisation State president M. Nageswara Rao. There is an urgent need for setting up at least two trauma-care centres on the NH between Martur and Ulavapadu and the practice of roadside dhabas selling liquor illegally should end, he adds.
