Yamuna e-way operator told to implement IIT-Delhi safety report within 15 days

The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) Friday said it has directed the Jaypee Infratech Limited (JIL) to implement the measures suggested

The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) Friday said it has directed the Jaypee Infratech Limited (JIL) to implement the measures suggested in a safety audit report of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-Delhi) to make Yamuna Expressway safer for motorists.

An aerial view of six-lane bridge across Yamuna Expressway parallel to Kalindi Kunj Barrage, in Noida. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT PHOTO)

The directions came after Yeida chief executive officer Arun Vir Singh conducted a detailed inspection of the 165km expressway from the Zero Point in Greater Noida to Agra.

“We have given Jaypee Infratech Limited 15 days to implement the safety measured, including the construction of exit and entry ramps at the required spots, construction of a loop and toll plaza, as well as changing the design of the road at some places,” Arun Vir Singh, Yeida CEO, said.

The JIL needs to construct entry and exit ramps at Rabupura, Bajna and Raya, etc, officials said.

The Yeida, in August 2018, had hired IIT-Delhi to conduct a safety audit of the expressway that passes through six districts of Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mahtura, Hathras, Agra and Bulandshahr. The police in these districts keep passing the buck instead of enforcing traffic rules, officials said. The expressway was opened to the public in August 2012 and since then, more than 770 people have been killed in accidents on the access-controlled highway. As recently as on July 8, at least 30 people were killed when a bus fell off the expressway into a drain when the driver fell asleep near Agra. After that accident, chief minister Yogi Adityanath pulled up government officials, the traffic police as well as JIL, and directed them to intensify enforcement so that motorists could be provided adequate safety on the expressway.

The eight points suggested by IIT-Delhi in are additional signage (distance bar markings) before the exit ramps, removal of lane system, installation of rumble strips at the entry and exit points, installation of crash attenuators at the exit ramps, audible shoulder marking throughout the corridor, removal of all signposts from the shoulder, shoulder guard rail to be reinstalled as per the standard specifications, and replacement of the raised median (divider) with flush medians and central guard rails

“The expressway concessionaire will have to spend ₹28.42 crore on implementing the suggestions made by IIT-Delhi in the first phase. We have directed the JIL to start implementing the suggestions immediately,” Singh said.

The JIL has started the construction work and it has been given time to finish it within the stipulated time frame, officials said.

The JIL legal advisor Ajit Kumar said, “We have placed crash barriers along a 38km stretch of the expressway from Zero Point in Greater Noida. The crash barriers on the bridges are being installed. We aim to finish the work by the end of September.”

The Yeida has also directed the JIL and the police to fine motorists, who speed on this road, beyond the prescribed limits.

“We have asked police to issue heavy penalties to 5,800 motorists, who have been caught violating traffic rules over the past three months (June, July and August),” Singh said.

Yeida officials said the inspection found that six CCTV cameras, nine video accident detecting systems, 15 automatic number plate reader speed cameras, 164 emergency call boxes and one crane were not operational on the expressway. Three nitrogen gas filling stations were also not functional on the Yamuna Expressway.

“We have directed JIL to repair all these cameras and devices immediately. If this is not done at the earliest, then we will act against the company. We have also directed JIL to repair worn out rumble strips and also install new ones wherever required,” Singh said.