400 mishaps, 106 died at KMP Expressway in a year

Gurugram: The KMP expressway that is now over a year old may have reduced the traveling time but the dark stretches still pose a major risk for the commuters. According to an official data, there have been 400 mishaps which left 106 dead at the Expressway from the time of its functioning.

The worrying trend of people losing their lives continued even on Sunday when a driver identified as Basti Ram died after his SUV was being hit by a heavy vehicle.

One of the major factors behind these fatal accidents occurring at repeated intervals is lack of proper lighting at the expressway. According to the sources, around 70 percent of the fatal accidents occur mainly in the night or in the evening.

"The road infrastructure at KMP Expressway may be world-class but major problems remains of it not being proper lit due to which travelling become dangerous and fraught with risks. Ironically even though there are streetlights in certain stretches, it is not lit. Sign boards do tell the exit but the path becomes invisible due to pitch darkness," said Sargam Rai, one of the commuters at the Expressway.

Taking cognisance of the huge costs involved in transmitting power through non-renewable means, there have been plans to produce power through solar panels. This ambitious plan however has not been able to kick -off as yet.

"There are a lot of complaints being received from poor lighting at the Expressway. We are trying to resolve the issues. To minimise cost, we are also ensuring that a large amount of lighting at the Expressway will be powered by the solar energy. Progress in this regard will be witnessed soon," said a senior official from Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC)

A lackadaisical approach is also being witnessed in certain stretches where the beam has been installed but without putting any streetlights on it. It is important to note that there are around seven tolls which are being built at the Expressway in which it is estimated that over Rs 54 crore gets collected daily in the state exchequer.

Recently, the Delhi High Court has directed the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and HSIIDC to ensure basic amenities, including toilets, petrol pumps, ambulance and emergency facilities on the Western Peripheral Expressway as early as possible.