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Bijendra Ahlawat
The expansion of the National Highway No. 2 passing through Faridabad city and the district at a cost of Rs 2,948 crore is nearing completion but it is still unsafe for commuters who walk across it every day. The number of fatal accidents and loss of lives this year amply testifies the concern for safety of commuters.
As many as 90 persons have been killed and a large number of commuters injured in accidents that took place on the 30-km stretch on the National Highway No. 2 (Mathura road) passing through Faridabad up to November 30 this year. This is higher than 87 deaths in accidents on this stretch during this period in 2017.
"The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the local authorities have taken up the work to install iron grills on berms and the median of the highway to prevent jaywalkers from indiscriminately crossing it. However, more than 95 per cent of the 30-km stretch (80 per cent of it located within Faridabad city limits) has no iron grills, thus allowing pedestrians to take the risk of crossing the highway," says SK Sharma, district coordinator, Road Safety Organisation, an NGO engaged in the work of traffic management. At least 40 per cent of 247 deaths that occurred on roads in the district in 2017 took place on the National Highway No. 2.
He says the highway passing through Faridabad city is highly accident prone, as foot over bridges (FOB), divider (median) railings and proper lighting are still to be provided on a large stretch of it. The project to widen the National Highway No. 2 to six lanes was launched in October 2012. "Several youths have lost their lives due to poor planning and absence of safety features," he adds. While two lakh vehicles travel on this highway every day, more than one lakh pedestrians or commuters cross it daily. As many as 28 persons have been killed in accidents that took place adjacent to five Metro rail stations of the NHPC, Badkhal, Ajornda, Bata and Escorts-Mujesar on the National Highway No. 2.
Ajay Chaudhary, a resident of Sector 11, says that every day more than 80,000 industrial workers cross the highway that witnesses chaotic conditions during peak hours in the morning and the evening. “I miraculously escaped an accident on the highway near Mewla Maharajpur recently when some jaywalkers appeared all of a sudden in front of my vehicle,” says Anoop Chaudhary, another local resident. “Had I not been driving carefully, I would have met with an accident,” he adds. Hundreds of persons wait at more than 12 spots to cross the highway to catch a bus or an auto-rickshaw, he claims.
Anoop rues the absence of bus stands and auto rickshaw points along the highway. He says drivers of Haryana Roadways buses do not stop at designated points, forcing commuters to take the risk of crossing the highway.
Hemant Kumar, SHO (Traffic), says that the NHAI has either installed or plans to install safety grills near all Metro stations and accident-prone points to prevent jaywalking on the highway. “We had demanded installation of 10-foot high grills on the median on the highway, but the NHAI has installed five-foot high grills,” says an official. “The foot over bridges being constructed now should have been part of the highway widening project,” says Varun Sheokand, a social activist. Inadequate underpasses, improper lighting, over speeding, lack of signage and illegally parked heavy vehicles alongside the highway have also led to accidents, he adds.
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