Wednesday, 03 November 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
The recent accident involving a utility vehicle in Chakrata area of Dehradun which resulted in the deaths of 13 people just days after another accident which had killed five people near the same area has exposed the apathy of the Uttarakhand Transport department.
In both cases, the vehicles fell into a gorge after the drivers reportedly lost control due to overloading. According to the locals, the overloading of vehicles is common in the area as the means of public transportation are quite limited in the area. Chakrata resident Mohit Chauhan said that due to the lack of public transport vehicles in the area, many locals ignore the potential risk to their lives and travel in overcrowded utility vehicles. He said that the operation of such overcrowded vehicles on the narrow routes of the area is not uncommon but it is the usual cause of such fatalities in the area.
Another local Manisha Negi also said that public transportation is not easily available on the internal routes of the area but the locals should also act responsibly while travelling to avoid such fatal accidents. She also insisted that the authorities must pay attention to such overcrowded vehicles and the condition of the roads in the area. The transport secretary Ranjit Sinha also agreed that overloading does occur in the area due to lack of proper public transport but added that the department does keep a close watch on overloaded vehicles. He said, “It rarely happens that overcrowded vehicles pass without any checking by the department’s team but it tends to happen more in the hilly areas due to less number of vehicles. We run awareness campaigns among locals to raise awareness but will take necessary measures to tackle such situations too.”
