In 5 yrs, 400 killed in eway mishaps

As many as 21 people have been killed in accidents on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway during the first three months of this year. The reason: poor traffic management and lack of police presence on the speedway. Sanjeev K Ahuja reports.

As many as 21 people have been killed in accidents on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway during the first three months of this year.

HT Image

The reason: poor traffic management and lack of police presence on the speedway.

According to the data available with the Gurgaon traffic police, more than 400 people have been killed since January 2008 in road mishaps on the 18-km stretch of the expressway that falls in Gurgaon. Officials said the number of fatalities could be much higher if the accidents occurred on the 10-km stretch of the expressway that falls in Delhi were included.

Though the number of reported accidental deaths have decreased over the years, motorists claim that traffic rules are being violated openly on the expressway due to lack of police presence.

While 115 deaths were reported in 2008, only 55 people were killed in accidents in 2012.

According to motorists, the police presence on the main carriageway is almost negligible.

Police officials say that they do not have enough manpower to regulate the traffic on the expressway.

About 400 traffic policemen are supposed to take care of the traffic in the city having 10 lakh vehicles.

Meanwhile, Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda who visited Gurgaon on Tuesday said that the state government was making concerted efforts to check the issue of traffic jam at the toll plaza in Gurgaon.

There is also a plan to extend Delhi Metro to IMT Manesar and for this purpose a detailed project report is being prepared, he disclosed.