Lack of cameras, lights and patrolling: What makes Yamuna Expressway a ‘death trap’

GREATER NOIDA: With over five,600 injuries on the Yamuna Expressway since it was once launched in August 2012, the velocity corridor remains to be a fatally dangerous stretch for commuters. Despite two audits thus far and every other one within the procedure, injuries proceed unabated on the 165km stretch.



However, Friday’s bus twist of fate, wherein 8 individuals had been killed and a number of other others injured, presentations the dire want for structural changes that the high-speed corridor requires.

Preliminary investigations through police means that the driving force of the bus, who died on the spot, had dozed off. The velocity may have been over 110kmph — above the permissible velocity of 100kmph — according to the level of wear and tear to the bus.

The limited-access highway’s historical past of injuries is price a point out: in June 2018, the loss of life toll on the stretch stood at 718, with 4,956 injuries in 2,053 days. The statistics have only worsened since then.

According to information with the Yamuna Authority, as many as 551 injuries came about on the limited-access highway between April 2018 and December 2018 and claimed 92 lives. Since January this year, 53 people have died in injuries on the highway.

Even as the loss of life toll will increase, authorities are nonetheless looking ahead to an audit report through IIT Delhi, which is predicted to indicate structural and different changes which might be required for protection.

Officials agree that structural lapses are inherent to the stretch.

“There are not any vends for drivers to park their vehicles and take leisure. People usually park their heavy vehicles along the highway to sit in cafes and dhabas that experience mushroomed on the facets of the road,” an official mentioned. Rampant rushing, mixed with foggy conditions and sleepy drivers, make the stretch a loss of life lure.

While YEIDA and Jaypee, the private concessionaire maintaining the highway, had earlier started the apply of offering tea to drivers, sources say it is now adopted only throughout the winters. Jaypee claims it nonetheless provides tea between 1am-5am.

Lack of adequate patrolling through cops and absence of police patrolling vehicles have only added to the issue. Most importantly, a scarcity of cameras on the limited-access highway approach drivers velocity with impunity, as surveillance is scanty. “Thirty cameras for all of the stretch are abysmally low,” SP (visitors) Anil Jha identified.

With just six police patrolling vehicles and 11 patrolling vehicles (of the concessionaire) on all of the stretch from Greater Noida to Agra, lack of enforcement of visitors regulations is a significant issue.

Further, only three quick response groups and merely six ambulances with paramedics is woefully insufficient for the limited-access highway the place any lengthen can lead to better loss of lives.

Streetlights installed on the central verge additionally make it tricky for drivers to spot danger, a point already highlighted through a crew from IIT-Delhi, which has instead urged putting in them along the aspect of the roads.

Though violations on the limited-access highway are on the upward push, issuing of challans is not on a par. The overall choice of violations, in keeping with the Yamuna Authority, is 1.4 lakh from January this year, however the choice of challans issued is only five,746.


The SP (visitors) mentioned that the issuing of challans suffered due to a problem within the server in October however the issue had been rectified.


YEIDA CEO Arunvir Singh mentioned surveyors from IIT-D wanted to discuss the report with the Authority sooner than handing it over.


“The report is predicted through April first week. Any changes within the limited-access highway could be made after the report. It may not be feasible to make changes twice,” he mentioned.


Lack of cameras, lights and patrolling: What makes Yamuna Expressway a ‘death trap’ Lack of cameras, lights and patrolling: What makes Yamuna Expressway a ‘death trap’ Reviewed by Kailash on March 30, 2019 Rating: 5
Powered by Blogger.