NH 47 in Kerala turns deathtrap for motorists, pedestrians

The Paliyekkara toll plaza on the Mannuthy-Edappally stretch of NH 47. Despite increasing toll rates, the National Highways Authority of India has not taken any steps to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians on the stretch.File photo

The number of accidents on the National Highway 47 has gone up drastically, according to the information received by an RTI activist of the ‘Nervazhi’ organisation. As per the information obtained by P.B. Satheesh under the Right to Information Act, 1168 accidents have been recorded on the 38 km stretch between Mannuthy and Karukutty in the last 21 months.

More than one accident had occurred on many days. In all, 252 people lost their lives. Among them 54 are pedestrians. More than 200 pedestrians were hit by vehicles.

The number of people, who continue to be in critical condition and those who became physically-challenged is 1512.

The available data was from January 2011 to September 2013. The data was collected from Ollur, Puthukkad, Kodakara, Chalakkudy and Koratty police station limits.

Seventy pedestrians were knocked down by vehicles while crossing the road at Nandikkara, Puthukkad and Amballur junctions under Puthukkad police station limits. Among them 16 people lost their lives. Fifty of them were critically injured.

Under Ollur police station limits in Kunjannampara, Nadathara, Kuttanellur, Marathakkara and Puzhamballam, 34 people were injured while crossing the road. Of them 10 persons died and 24 suffered serious injuries.

Thirty one people met with accidents under Kodakara police station and the death toll was 11. Twenty five people were critically injured.

At PMG Junction, Potta, Sundari Kavala, Chalakudy Court Junction under Chalakudy police station limits, 24 pedestrians were knocked down by speeding vehicles while crossing the roads. Five of them lost their lives and twenty were injured critically. In all, 37 people met with accidents under Koratty police station limits. In this 12 people lost their lives and 27 were injured critically.

The high accident rate shows that there are no facilities for the pedestrians to cross the road safely on the four-lane Highway, say the local people. Subways or flyovers are absent even at the busy junctions. The traffic signals are not functioning properly at many junctions.