Illegal access points to NH-44 pose threat to commuters

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, January 22

With no check on ‘illegal access points’ to National Highway-44 (NH-44), around 70-km stretch from the Karnal-Panipat border to Karnal-Kurukshetra border is posing threat to commuters. Most of the people running dhabas, restaurants and fuel stations on this stretch have taken illegal access to the NH-44, making mockery of the system.

As per the data collected by The Tribune, there are around 30 legal entry and exit points on this stretch, but there are scores of illegal such points which are accident prone.

Residents alleged that there was no surveillance to check such illegal points. Several two-wheelers, cars, trucks, and buses take access to NH-44 from these points, risking their own lives and others. It has been going on without any check. “Scores of dhaba, restaurant and fuel station owners have got illegal access, which is dangerous for the commuters who are travelling on this busy stretch. People come on to the busy NH through such illegal points, which often lead to accidents,” said Malak Singh, a resident.

As per guidelines of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, every business establishment has to apply for an access permission and the highway authorities conduct safety audit for it.

One of the officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said they got these illegal access points on NH-44 closed, but in a couple of days, some of the dhaba and petrol pump owners got these removed with the help of trucks or any other vehicle. “Most of the establishment owners have made access directly to the NH-44 which is a violation. We take action and fencing is done there, but it is removed by them,” he added.

Omvir Singh, Superintendent of Police (SP), Traffic and Highways, Haryana, said after getting reports from the district headquarters regarding illegal access points, they always wrote to the NHAI to get them closed. “We write to the NHAI to close the illegal access points whenever it comes to our notice,” said the SP.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.