Despite high death toll, no safety facilities on National Highway

Kochi: The 62-km toll road on the Mannuthi-Edapally section of the National Highway lacks mandatory safety facilities, a factor that has led to the rise in road accidents. This, even though the small stretch of the toll road from Edapally to Aroor boasts more infrastructure.

“We are setting up a Medical aid post, Traffic aid post and Toilet facility near Kumbalam toll plaza. This is mandatory under the NHAI rules. We have given strict instructions to the maintenance contractor,” said C T Abraham, NHAI Project Director, Kochi region. The 17-km toll section also boasts better street lighting and service roads.

“No such facilities exist in the Mannuthi-Edapally section. Nearly 30 per cent of the work is pending even now including construction of at least 10 service roads, drainages and route patrolling among others. Road mishaps have risen by 300 per cent in the last three years with the drastic rise in vehicle population through the stretch,” said Upendra Narayanan,

Traffic expert and Executive Director of Indian Institute of Road Safety. Also missing is the Route Patrolling System to help victims in accident cases, insufficient pedestrian lighting and sidewalls  at uneven places.

B Ravi Shankar, NHAI Project Director, Palakkad region, however, cites fund paucity as the main hurdle for work completion. “We have requested the state government to allot us Rs 85 crore to complete the works including land acquisition. However, the latter said the PWD would chip in but nothing has happened.”

The Guruvayur Infrastructure Private Limited, a joint venture company, had laid the 32-km road from Paliyekara to Nadappara near Angamaly on Public-Private Partnership mode at a cost of Rs 490 crore. The state government awarded that company another 30-km road stretch upto Edapally along with bridges for toll collection and maintenance.

 

 

Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.