Night drives on State and National highways remain a risky experience for many inter-district passengers due to the continued hazardous parking of heavy vehicles along accident-prone stretches. Despite numerous accidents involving such vehicles, highway patrol squads remain indifferent, with no legal action taken to prohibit the dangerous practice.
“Park lights are not functional in many of these vehicles, which doubles the risk. The drivers do not even use safety reflectors on their vehicles as a basic precaution to alert motorists,” said Radhakrishnan Karayil, a local residents’ association member from Vadakara. He pointed out that there were several parking spots between Koyilandy and Vadakara where the road visibility was often poor at night.
Residents have also raised complaints about the inadequate number of street lights along the national and State highways. According to them, these poorly lit areas were often used as parking spots. The safety concerns related to the increasing number of parking spots had been troubling many since the commencement of Kozhikode-Kannur national highway widening works, they alleged.
Meanwhile, truck operators on the route complained that there were no convenient parking spots available between the national highway. They said that wayside parking could be eliminated if local administrators addressed their demand for dedicated parking spots equipped with basic comfort station facilities. They also pointed out that inter-State truck operators were among the most affected, forced to make do with wayside spaces.
“Though take-a-break shelters exist in many places, they do not actually cater to truck drivers. The facilities available at lorry stands face serious space constraints and cleanliness issues,” said Bibin Thomas, an inter-State truck driver. He pointed out that many drivers attempt to self-cook during their travels to save money, but they have no option other than such wayside spaces for parking and cooking.
Highway patrol squad members said that they had already warned several drivers about the dangerous practice, in addition to taking action against some frequent violators. They also claimed that only a few of the permitted stretches were currently being used by inter-State operators as a temporary arrangement owing to the lack of dedicated facilities.
Published - September 29, 2024 06:53 pm IST
