Amritsar, February 11
The registration of a case against a National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) road contractor for not putting up diversion signs and reflectors, after the accident of an NRI from Canada last month, has come as a ray of hope for residents.
Driving a challenge during night
The residents have rued that the private contractors taking care of public projects and the government agencies monitoring these projects are least bothered about the safety of commutersWith several road projects under way, including the construction of five flyovers, the commuters face a lot of challenges, especially during the night time
The residents have rued that the private contractors taking care of public projects and the government agencies monitoring such projects are least bothered about the safety of commuters.
“The administration should not just stop after that one erring contractor is held to account. It should mandate all contractors to take measures for the safety of the commuters,” stressed Joginder Singh, a resident.
With several road projects under way, including the construction of five flyovers, the commuters face a lot of challenges, especially during the nighttime. A look at most of these construction sites shows that there are inadequate safety measures at these sites.
Another resident, Harwant Singh, complained, “There should be proper barricading of the dug-up areas, and there should be glow signs in place to indicate the diversion of the boundaries of the work sites.” He complained that an improper road infrastructure, especially a lack of safety measures at construction sites, is the main reason behind accidents in most cases.
The family of a victim who is undergoing treatment had complained that his car had hit the bridge because there were no warning signs. Though the family has managed to get the contractor booked after seven days of running from pillar to post with their complaint, many residents stated that it would not be possible for the victims of all such incidents to pursue their complaint when their family member is still in hospital.
“Instead of waiting for more accidents to occur in future, the administration can easily make all the contractors adhere to clauses of the contract,” said a resident.
