Unsafe roads: Commuters, pedestrians still living on the edge in Gurugram

The deadly accident at Ghaziabad on Saturday morning, which led to the loss of four lives, once again highlighted the unsafe condition of roads in Gurugram and other satellite cities of Delhi.

Just like many parts of the National Capital Region, Gurugram too is reeling from the adverse effects of unsafe roads for commuters and pedestrians.

Incidents of over-speeding, rash and drunken driving and lack of facilities for pedestrians are certain factors that make Gurugram roads susceptible to deadly accidents.

Furthermore, poor road markings, absence of road dividers and faulty streetlights at important intersections in the city add to the woes of citizens. Construction work along important routes, such as Golf Course Road and NH-8, makes travelling through these important city routes risky.

In addition to Golf Course Road and NH-8, other unsafe routes in the city include Gurugram-Faridabad Road, Sohna Road, Gurugram-Jhajjar Road and MG Road.

Last year, 5,000 deadly accidents were reported in the city.

While Gurugram Traffic Police – which recently held the 28th Road Safety Week in the city – claims that efforts are being taken towards road safety, many citizens claim that there is a lot to be done in this regard.

"The roads of Gurugram are definitely not safe for commuters. Forget about deadly accidents, there are minor accidents which occur daily on many important intersections of the city. Bad roads, poor traffic sense and over-speeding are major problems being faced in the city," said Rajeev Bagai, a resident of DLF Phase-1.

"Police presence may be there in some areas, but it is still minimal. On Gurugram-Faridabad Road, for example, there is a major problem of people indulging in racing and driving at high speeds. Not only for the commuters, but also for the pedestrians it is unsafe. There is also the problem of faulty streetlights. On the Gurugram-Faridabad Road, which has constant movement of heavy vehicles, the street lights are non-functional beyond the Silver Oaks area" added Bagai.

"Traffic in Gurugram has increased manifold and therefore, like every big city, it too will have challenges. There are over eight lakh vehicles which ply in the city daily and managing them is a big challenge, "said an official of the Gurugram Traffic Police.

"We have deployed our professionals at important routes and are penalising people that are violating traffic rules," added the official.