Admin directs all agencies to take corrective measures to prevent accidents

In a district-level road safety meeting held on February 19, the district administration directed the agencies concerned to install streetlights in areas where they are currently lacking

In a district-level road safety meeting held on February 19, the district administration directed the agencies concerned to install streetlights in areas where they are currently lacking. Although officials did not provide specific details about the areas and the agencies concerned, they said that the matter has been taken into cognisance by the recently constituted Safer Streets for Gurugram (SSFG) — a partnership between road safety experts and the district administration — and will be tackled on a priority basis.

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The meeting was attended by officials from the road transport authority, Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Public Works Department (PWD) and Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA).

Deputy commissioner Yash Garg, who chaired the February 19 meeting, said, “We have reviewed available safety measures at all accident-prone spots in Gurugram. Authorities have been told to execute whatever engineering changes are needed at accident-prone locations in their jurisdiction, be it installation of streetlights or speed calming measures. Essentially, we are taking all steps necessary to prevent the rate of accidents that we are seeing.”

Jitender Mittal, chief engineer (infra), GMDA, who is also overseeing the operations of the GMDA’s mobility division, confirmed the development. “We will work with SSFG to identify areas which need better lighting and we will take action. There will be a detailed safety audit of all stretches across the district and we will submit the data to the district administration for review. A second audit will be conducted after the gaps have been identified to see if they are effective.”

Residents, meanwhile, said that the issue is not just about safety of motorists but also that of pedestrians and women. Pancheswar Singh, a resident of Kaliyawas in Farrukhnagar, said, “On the same stretch where the recent accidents have happened, women have earlier reported incidents of molestation and snatching as well. It is unsafe for anyone to commute after it gets dark.”

A transportation planning expert associated with a Delhi institute, on the condition of anonymity, said, “To blame lack of lights for accidents is a bit simplistic. You can also solve the issue by increasing the number of reflectors on the motorable surfaces, for example, or simply redesigning the roads. If most of these accidents in the last week have happened at junctions, it indicates a deeper issue than just lack of streetlights.”