YEIDA CEO check road safety arrangements on Yamuna Expressway

Noida: The Yamuna Authority (YEIDA) CEO Arun Vir Singh along with other officials visited Yamuna Expressway on Friday to check the road safety arrangements that have been done by the concessionaire along the entire stretch

Noida: The Yamuna Authority (YEIDA) CEO Arun Vir Singh along with other officials visited Yamuna Expressway on Friday to check the road safety arrangements that have been done by the concessionaire along the entire stretch.

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The IIT Delhi had conducted a safety audit of the stretch about three years ago and recommended 13 points to ensure safety along the 165Km-long Yamuna Expressway. Officials said that most of the safety work has been done, except the work of installation of guardrail on both sides of the Expressway.

Singh along with other officials of Yamuna Authority and Jaypee Infratech Ltd inspected the works. “The Expressway concessionaire Jaypee Infratech management showed the work done in this regard. We found that safety related works are almost complete, except the work of installation of guardrail on both sides of the median of Yamuna Expressway. This work is also going on in full swing and the rails have been installed for 290 kms, of the total 33o Kms on both sides. The work is expected to be complete by June 2022,” he said.

The CEO said the safety measures have resulted in decreases number of accidents over the years. The 165-km-long Expressway was opened for commercial operations in August 2012.

Yamuna Authority has also asked Jaypee Infratech to increase the number of laser speed guns and cameras and share a report on the average speed of vehicles between toll plazas with the traffic department for ensuring challans of erring drivers. The data and details of over-weight vehicles will also be shared with the transport department and traffic police.

From January to April 2022, 33 people died and 154 people were injured in 93 accidents on Yamuna Expressway. Last year, 135 people had died and 949 people were injured in 420 accidents. In 2020, 509 accidents were reported in which 128 people succumbed to injuries while 1013 persons were injured.

In August 2018, Yamuna Authority had hired IIT-Delhi to conduct a safety audit of the Yamuna Expressway that passes through six districts - Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mahtura, Hathras, Agra and Bulandshahr. The audit report suggested additional signage before the exit ramps, removal of lane system, installation of rumble strips at the entry and exit points, installation of crash barriers at the exit ramps, guardrail, etc.

On May 16, last week UP CM Yogi Adityanath held a meeting with officials through video conference and directed them to take measures to bring down accidents across the state. Following this, all authorities, along with traffic police, have increased focus of reducing accidents, removing unauthorised parking and vendors.