A public interest litigation petition has been filed in the Madras High Court Bench here seeking construction of flyovers at four junctions in and near Madurai, besides safety arrangements along the Madurai-Tiruchi four-lane highway.
On Friday, a division bench comprising Justices R. Sudhakar and S. Vaidyanathan heard the preliminary arguments and adjourned the case till December 12.
In his petition, T. Dharbar Raja, a resident of Uthangudi, sought a direction to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to construct flyovers at the Sivaganga Road junction in Karuppayoorani and road junctions at Othakadai, Melur and Kottampatti.
Safety arrangements such as zebra crossing, retro-reflective signboards, median opening, speed breakers, reflective stickers, cat eyes, parking areas for trucks, bus bays and delineators should be provided along the Madurai-Tiruchi four-lane highway to ensure safety of road users, he pleaded.
There were 40 villages along the highway but adequate safety arrangements had not been made, he claimed.
Mr.Raja further said a total of 639 accidents, causing 234 deaths and injuries to 821 persons, were reported in Othakadai, Melur and Kottampatti.
He claimed that he had obtained the data through the RTI Act from the Madurai police.
RepresentationsThe petitioner had submitted representations to the NHAI authorities and Secretary of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on September 2, 2013.
Not satisfied with the reply, he moved the court, he said.
