PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Haldwani
A scientific and technical highway audit of Kaladhungi-Nainital road has identified seven locations with the highest incidence of road accidents. The audit was held under the direction of the Transport department. The expert team has directed immediate safety improvements at these black spots.
Notably, following a proposal from the regional transport officer (Enforcement and Road Safety), Haldwani, a joint team of the Transport department, Public Works department, police and the lead agency, led by the joint transport commissioner Rajiv Kumar Mehra conducted a field inspection of the entire stretch from Kaladhungi to Nainital recently. During the inspection, the road structure, sharp turns, gradients, visibility, crash barriers, warning signs and other safety standards were thoroughly examined.
During the inspection, the locations identified as highly accident-prone included Mangoli, Ghatgarh, Priya Bend-1, Priya Bend-2 and the stretch of 200 metres before the Bhakra Bridge toward Kaladhungi. All these locations are known to be highly accident prone.
The PWD officials present during the inspection were instructed to make immediate safety improvements at these identified locations. The lead agency was also asked to prepare a detailed technical report and propose long-term safety measures to reduce the number of accidents in the future.
The frequent complaints of brake failure in Tempo Travellers on the Kaladhungi-Nainital route were also taken seriously. The expert team members travelled in a tempo traveller themselves to test the road conditions and vehicle performance. A detailed technical report will be submitted within a week, the officials said.
