E-Paper
Ludhiana police commissionerate recorded most road mishaps in Punjab in 2021
Of the three police commissionerates in the state, the maximum road mishaps were recorded from Ludhiana in 2021, as per the latest Punjab Road Accidents and Traffic Report; while Amritsar and Jalandhar police commissionerates recorded 135 and 98 accidents, respectively, as many as 478 mishaps were reported from the Ludhiana commissionerate in 2021
Of the three police commissionerates in the state, the maximum road mishaps were recorded from Ludhiana in 2021, as per the latest Punjab Road Accidents and Traffic Report.
While Amritsar and Jalandhar police commissionerates recorded 135 and 98 accidents, respectively, as many as 478 mishaps were reported from the Ludhiana commissionerate in 2021.
In Ludhiana, 380 people died in road accidents in 2021, while 135 were seriously injured and 34 had minor injuries. As many as 37% victims were riding two-wheelers, 16% were on three-wheelers and 13% were pedestrians.
As per the report, 54% accidents in Ludhiana involved buses and trucks, compared to 23% in Jalandhar and 31%in Amritsar.
Dr Navdeep K Asija, traffic adviser, Punjab, and director of Punjab Road Safety and Traffic Research Centre, said, “These accidents are a result of the infrastructure gap ,as there is an absence of public transport and safe passage for pedestrians and cyclists in Ludhiana.”
According to Asija, pedestrians and two-wheeler riders are among the most vulnerable road users in the industrial hub of the state, which is home to a large migrant population. “They are victims in over 90% accidents,” said Asija who is a part of the research team which compiled the report.
He added that improving infrastructure can result in a reduction in number of accidents.
Recent accidents
In December 2022, a 23-year-old youth was mowed down by a speeding truck near the Sherpur railway overbridge. Police said that the victim, Shyam, worked at a knitting unit in Sahnewal and was returning home from work when the truck hit him. The victim is survived by his wife and a two-month-old child. The driver had fled from the spot and was later traced and booked by police.
A second-year college student, Kammo, 22, of Aasi Kalan, died after a speeding truck hit her scooter at Dehlon Chowk. Her cousin, who was riding pillion, was also injured.
