The 3.5-kilometre Mogili ghat road is part of Chittoor-Bengaluru national highway. Last year, the ghat accounted for over 80 accidents, resulting in 14 fatalities. A recent collision on this road between a truck and an RTC bus killed seven and injured over 30 passengers.
The ghat section, particularly the steep 15-feet descent from Buthalabanda, seven km from Palamaner, is witness to drivers frequently shifting to neutral gear and switching off their engines to save fuel. The vehicles in neutral roll downhill at speeds of around 60–70 km/h.
“Drivers tend to lose balance in neutral and can crash violently,” a road safety official pointed out. However, authorities have been slow in taking action against such a practice. Recommendations for raising the central divider’s height and 24/7 police surveillance are yet to be implemented.
Equally perilous is the Bhakarapet ghat road in Tirupati district, a 15-km stretch with a nine-km mountain pass. The road connects Rangampeta to Bhakarapet. It is notorious for its sharp and dangerous turns. Even a momentary lapse in concentration can send vehicles plummeting into the valley. In particular, the Donakota Gangamma turn has been the site of multiple accidents.
The risk on Bhakarapet Ghat road is compounded by several infrastructural and maintenance problems. Warning signs are either missing or damaged. Speed breakers are barely visible. Safety barricades at turns are in a poor condition. Speed indicator signs, crucial for alerting drivers, are obscured by overgrowing vegetation. The once-functional solar-powered signal system is now defunct.
“Bhakarapet ghat road is a key link between Piler and Tirupati. It has become a death trap due to lack of maintenance,” says Kuppireddy Sai Kiran Reddy, a daily commuter.
“If authorities don’t act soon, this beautiful stretch of road will continue to be a scene of tragedy,” he remarked.