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Mohali: Road mishaps snuffing out fives lives every week
Road accidents claimed 278 lives in Mohali in 2022, a 17% spike from 237 deaths in 2021; another 19 people killed in January alone in 2023
Reckless driving by commuters and police’s failure to check it continues to claim precious lives in Mohali district, as evidenced by 278 deaths in road accidents last year, a 17% jump from 237 in 2021.
As the district rang in 2023, as many as 19 more people lost their lives in 36 road mishaps, amounting to an average of five deaths each week, a repeat from 2022.
In comparison, in 2021, four people succumbed to injuries caused by road accidents every week, on an average.
Of the total 278 road mishap deaths in 2022, a whopping 62% were reported from five areas of Mohali — Kharar, Lalru, Dera Bassi, Zirakpur and Sohana, as per data compiled by the police department.
Cyclists, pedestrians, bikers most vulnerable
Apart from traffic violations, traffic experts also blame inadequate infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, who, along with motorcyclists, form around 60% of the total mishap victims.
“Mohali is among the most accident-prone districts of Punjab. While the other districts witness accidents mostly in rural areas, in Mohali, their number is higher in urban areas, primarily due to congested roads and lack of adequate infrastructure. Several districts, including Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib and Abohar, have pedestrian and cycle-friendly roads, but in Mohali, their security has been sidelined,” said Navdeep Asija, traffic adviser to the Punjab government.
On the contrary, he said, the roads in Mohali had been developed keeping the faster traffic in mind. “Pedestrians, not motor vehicles, have the first right to roads. There need to be proper cycle tracks here, and cyclists’ and pedestrians’ space needs to be respected,” added Asija.
Work underway to remove black spots: Admn
However, according to the administration, the work to remove black spots across the district to curtail accidents has commenced.
Mohali deputy commissioner (DC) Aashika Jain said as part of the efforts, a foot-over bridge was constructed in front of the Lalru government school last month to remove a black spot.
“We have identified the black spots in the district, and plans are being drawn and implemented to reduce accidents there. We are also going to construct roundabouts at the vulnerable chowks, especially in the areas under the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority,” she said.
On cycle and pedestrian tracks, the DC said they were also being worked upon in consultation with traffic experts.
With the aim to slow down traffic, Mohali police have already set up temporary roundabouts, mainly on low-volume roads that are more prone to speeding.
Notably, RITES, that is working on a comprehensive mobility plan to resolve the burgeoning traffic woes in the tricity, in its report last year had also found Mohali lacking in terms of road safety.
Despite being a planned city, there is faint coherence between its structure and public transport systems and the facilities are inadequate for heavy pedestrian traffic, the report had stated, while noting that while the pedestrian traffic infrastructure in Chandigarh is relatively comfortable and sustainable, Mohali lacked in it.
