With no proper safety measures, road construction sites in the district are emerging as the riskiest spots for motorists and pedestrians at night. Even after the Public Works Department and the Disaster Management Authorities issued a warning, a section of the contractors and labourers are yet to adopt steps to ensure safety of road users.
“A few months ago, a motorcycle rider had a close shave after falling into an unguarded pit which was dug up for the construction of a culvert along the State highway at Thamarassery. This was an eye-opener for the majority of contractors but a few were found deliberately delaying preventive measures in city suburbs and rural areas,” said a volunteer of the Road Accident Action Forum (RAAF). He also claimed that no proper checking mechanism was in place to oversee compliance with rules by workers.
Autorickshaw drivers from the city’s accident-prone Thondayad Junction said the overturning of a truck was the latest accident within the city limits that occurred as a result of the poor safety measures adopted at the construction site. The driver was unaware of the huge pit along the road and the vehicle fell into it while he was driving in reverse gear to park the vehicle, they said.
Delivery boys working with various companies in the city said keeping construction materials and related debris on roads posed a safety threat to two-wheelers and light motor vehicles. According to them, only people who are familiar with such risky spots would be able to drive safely at night.
A common complaint raised by taxi drivers in the city is the use of poor quality and worn-out cautionary boards and reflector tapes at major construction sites. They also pointed out that some of the workers use big stones and branches of trees around the dug-up spot to warn motorists who will not be able to see it in the night.
“The lack of street lights in major road construction sites is another safety hurdle. At least there should be some temporary arrangement to light up such areas for preventing road accidents,” said C.T. Ajeesh, member of a Community Rescue Team in Kakkodi panchayat. He also said contractors concerned should be given official instructions in this regard.
Meanwhile, officials with the Public Works Department said efforts were on to improve site inspections and internal vigilance mechanism as part of the efforts to track violations at construction sites. They also pointed out that stringent actions were taken in all the previous incidents in which the negligence of workers or engineers at construction sites caused road accidents.