People of Pamban staged a road roko agitation in front of Pamban bus stand, near here on Friday, protesting against the alleged official apathy to frequent accidents happening on the bridge.
Patrick, former Pamban panchyat president who led the protest blamed the resurfacing of the road on the bridge with mastic asphalt materials for the accidents and demanded immediate remedial measures.
More than a dozen accidents have taken place after the National Highways authorities started resurfacing the road with slippery materials, he said. A woman, who was riding pillion in a two wheeler was knocked down by a truck on Wednesday and she succumbed to the injuries on Thursday, he said. Protesting against the accident, a larger number of people squatted on the road, disrupting traffic for about half an hour and they dispersed after police and revenue officials promised to take up the issue with the district administration and do the needful.
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Later in the evening, a fisherman was fatally knocked down by a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Bus on the bridge. Jebestian (45) was proceeding towards Mandapam in a two wheeler when the Madurai - Rameswaram bus coming in the opposite direction, knocked him down on Friday evening.
Sources in National highways maintained that the accidents had nothing to do with resurfacing with mastic asphalt materials. The materials were used on national highways throughout the country and the recent accidents were due to high speed and human error, they said. As suggested by police and revenue officials, the National highways have decided to install reflective studs and put barricades to contain the speed of the vehicles.