Banned on expressway, slow-moving vehicles cause road accidents

Sanjay Yadav

Gurugram, December 10

Even 15 years after the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway became functional, the Gurugram police have failed to deter two-wheelers, autorickshaws and other slow-moving vehicles from using it. The banned vehicles have been plying here, triggering mishaps.

According to NHAI norms, the aforementioned vehicles are not allowed on the freeway that is meant only for high-speed traffic. Approximately 4 lakh vehicles ply on it daily. Not only two-wheelers, bicycles, tractors and bullock carts can be seen on the stretch. During a special drive last month, the Gurugram traffic police had issued 200 challans to violators.

According to the traffic police data, 812 road accidents have taken place till October this year, claiming 327 lives, including 127 bikers (38%). Besides, 300 two-wheeler riders, including cyclists, were injured.

Violators fined

Challans are being issued to violators. The drive against the banned vehicles will continue. —Virender Singh Sangwan, DCP Traffic

Though statistics only of Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway are not available, police officials say roughly 30 per cent of the deaths involved two-wheelers riders. Officials said only the service lanes running parallel to the expressway from Sirhaul border to Kherki Daula toll plaza were reserved for the slow moving traffic.

The NHAI has also installed signboards at several points for awareness, but to no avail. An NHAI official said the issue was raised repeatedly with civic authorities in Gurugram. “The NHAI had no role in it,” the senior official said.

Virender Singh Sangwan, DCP, Traffic, said the drive against the banned vehicles on Delhi-Jaipur highway would continue. “Challans are being issued to violators. The main carriageway of the expressway is reserved only for high-speed vehicles. For the repair of service lanes, we have already written to the officials concerned. We take up special drives against the banned vehicles from time to time,” he added.

Black spots

The police have identified six accident black spots

— Shankar Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Signature Tower Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Hero Honda Chowk and Kherki Daula toll plaza.