The busy Bangalore-Mysore Highway, Srirangapatna-Bidar Highway and the Anche Chittanahalli Double Road in Nagamangala have turned into death traps for commuters and pedestrians in the district.
As many as 391 people were killed and more than 600 were injured in road accidents in different parts of the district in 2012.
While the Police Department has identified at least 80 accident-prone spots on these roads, Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has identified five ‘black spots’ on the highways in the district. The ‘black spots’ are: Anche Chittanahalli Double Road in Nagamangala, Bellur Cross, Iron Bridge, Uppar Halli Gate and Mariyappa Circle on Srirangapatna-Bidar Highway.
Accidents
Mandya Superintendent of Police Borase Bhushan Gulabrao told The Hindu : “Taking a serious note of the frequent accidents that have claimed lives here, we have decided to improve the traffic management system in the district.”
The Ministry, after conducting surveys across the country, identified ‘black spots’ in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
In Karnataka
In Karnataka, such spots were identified on the highways in Mysore, Tumkur, Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Davangere, Belgaum, Gulbarga, Bellary and Mandya.
Unscientific road humps, over-speeding, driving/riding under the influence of alcohol, potholes and lack of streetlights were some of the major reasons for the accidents in Mandya, a senior police officer said.
More than two lakh vehicles ply on the Bangalore-Mysore Highway and Srirangapatna-Bidar Highway in the district. The condition of both the highways is good, he said.
BEML
Following a series of fatal accidents, the Mandya police requested Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML) to synchronise the traffic signals on the highway in Mandya.
The technical team from BEML has already visited the city and discussed with the officials concerned regarding synchronisation, Mr. Gulabrao said.
Bottlenecks
The SP has also expressed interest in clearing the bottlenecks on the highway to put an end to slow-moving traffic.
“Our priority is to put an end to the fatal accidents in Mandya,” Mr. Gulabrao said.
