Damaged central verges cause traffic nightmare, accidents: Police survey

A large number of accidents in the Capital occur due to broken central verges. An recently survey conducted by the Delhi traffic police revealed that accidents take place in as many as 66 roads because of damaged central verges.

A large number of accidents in the Capital occur due to broken central verges. An recently survey conducted by the Delhi traffic police revealed that accidents take place in as many as 66 roads because of damaged central verges.

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The most accident-prone broken central verges are at Kamla Market near Harihar Mandir, Hauz Khas-August Kranti Marg crossing, Britannia Chowk at Ashok Vihar, Lajpat Nagar-Sarai Kale Khan crossing, Mehrauli on Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Patel Nagar-Rama Road crossing, Madhuvan Chowk-Rithala crossing and Punjabi Bagh circle. Many of the central verges on city roads are damaged due to poor construction material, while in some cases commuters broke them to make a passage through them. Sometimes, mostly at night, speeding vehicles lose control and hit central verges, causing damage, said traffic police.

“Everyday, several accidents take place at these points. We are now collating data on fatal accidents that took place in these areas last year,” said a senior traffic police officer.

Most vulnerable on these roads are two-wheeler riders, said traffic police. The two-wheeler riders always have a tendency to sneak through the broken central verges in order to take a shortcut. Often, they come on the wrong side of the carriageway, causing accidents and slowing down traffic.

Traffic police believe that immediate repair of these central verges would bring down road accidents significantly. “We have identified 66 broken central verges, which not only cause accidents, but slow down traffic on arterial roads,” said Anil Shukla, additional commissioner of police (traffic).