Commuters forced to drive in dark on service roads of Delhi-Gurgaon expressway

Sanjay Yadav

Gurugram, December 12

Thousands of commuters, who have been using the service roads of the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway, suffer every day because of the lack of streetlights and poor condition of the road.

92 danger points identified

The traffic police are trying to curb road accidents. We have identified 92 points in the city which lack streetlights and are accident-prone. We asked the authorities concerned to provide adequate lighting. — Virender Singh Sangwan, DCP (traffic)

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The police have identified 92 dark points and wrote to the authorities concerned but to no avail. Darkness on the roads not only causes accidents but also leads to crime.

The Delhi-Jaipur highway also does not have streetlights and vehicles run on it only on their own light. The Gurugram-Faridabad road also does not have lights. Most of the stretch between Gurugram and Faridabad is in a valley area and accidents have taken place due to darkness.

The same situation is of Southern Peripheral Road (SPR), sector 45, 46, Bakhtawar chowk, Golf Course extension, Palam Vihar, Udyog Vihar and other areas in the inner city where due to lack of streetlights, accidents have taken place.

While those on motorcycles and cars somehow manage, it is the pedestrians who suffer the most. The lanes don’t have any footpaths either. Being a freeway, there is no provision of streetlights on the service roads though lights have been fixed at crucial junctions.

Poor lighting is one reason why the number of accidents is high on the service lanes of the expressway. Lack of footpaths, underpasses and adequate pedestrian bridges are the reasons why the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway has witnessed almost 1,000 deaths in the past 14 years.

Due to darkness on the roads, stationary vehicles also lead to fatal accidents. In the night, drivers — due to vehicle breakdown — park their vehicle on the roadside, causing accidents.

On Saturday night, a bike rider died after he rammed his bike into a marriage band vehicle standing on the road near Badshahpur.

In October, a bus driver was killed and 15 passengers were injured after the bus rammed into a truck from behind near Binola village on Delhi-Jaipur highway due to darkness. For obstruction in a public way, a total of 766 FIRs were registered last year and 574 FIRs registered this year till November under Section 283 of the IPC.

For women, the lack of proper lighting becomes a bigger problem as the roads become unsafe. “Our daughters and women from the village avoid the dark stretches as these are unsafe. There is no light at the underpass. During the night, it is a no-go zone even for men,” said Ramesh Yadav, a resident of Kherki Daula village.

Vicky Kumar, XEN of MCG, said, “We have received a demand of poles and lights for the service lanes of the expressway from GMDA. The estimate of mini high-mast light has been prepared and work is on. Lights will be installed in the coming two months.”