Illegal median cuts, lack of underpass make Cuttack roads deadliest

CUTTACK:  Illegal median cuts and lack of vehicle underpasses on national highways are the major causes of road accidents in Cuttack district. Though 36 black spots (accident-prone locations on roads) were identified by the district road safety committee (DRSC) in the last two years, no corrective measures have been taken.

As many as 264 road accidents have occurred within six months from January to June 2021 claiming 126 lives and injuring 229 persons. This was informed at a meeting of the committee held recently. Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Cuttack, Sanjay Kumar Behera said a majority of the 264 accidents took place at the black spots identified on NH-16 and NH-55 passing through the district. These spots are considered an indication of poor road design and inadequate road safety measures.

Expressing concern over rising road mishaps, Collector and DRSC chairman Bhabani Shankar Chayani asked the authorities concerned to study the black spots thoroughly and take corrective measures to reduce number of accidents. He also stressed strengthening the enforcement against the violators of traffic law. 
“All departments including police, transport and road engineering have been instructed to work together for improvement of the roads and conduct joint inspection of the accident spots. The officials have also been asked to videograph few black spots to analyse the reasons,” he said.

The NHAI has been instructed to go for concrete barricading at the illegal median cuts on NH-16 from Phulnakhara to Govindpur, install speed limit boards and complete the construction of over bridges at Balikuda, Gopalpur and underpass at Sikharpur.

The committee will be reconstituted with nomination of two accredited journalists, voluntary organisations working on road safety, a member from bus and truck owners association, the collector said.