Keep Rajiv Chowk underpass well lit: Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner to NHAI officials

Deputy commissioner (DC) Amit Khatri on Friday pulled up officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials for the unsafe conditions in city’s underpasses leading to accidents, and directed the authority to ensure there is proper illumination in the unidirectional Rajiv Chowk underpass, and that, in the interim, reflectors must be installed. He also asked the NHAI to explore the possibility of adding speed-breakers and rumble strips.

Overall, road safety experts presented 14 points before the DC (a copy of which is with the Hindustan Times) for discussion during the road safety meeting at the Mini Secretariat on Friday.

Khatri said, “It has been brought to our notice that existing lighting in the unidirectional underpass at Rajiv Chowk is irregular leading to accidents, especially in the daytime as motorists aren’t able to immediately adjust to the change in brightness. Hence, I have directed the NHAI to ensure there is 24x7 power backup, and in the meantime reflectors are installed to ensure the chances of accidents are greatly reduced.”

The DC further said that since most points raised in Friday’s meeting pertained to the NHAI, he has asked NHAI project director Ashok Sharma for a one-on-one meeting to discuss these issues and to explore the possibility of introducing speed-calming measures, such as speed breakers, rumble strips at the four NHAI underpasses—two at Rajiv Chowk, one each at Signature Towers and Hero Honda Chowk—to check accidents.

NHAI’s Sharma said, “I have been informed that a meeting will take place between me and the deputy commissioner on March 6, and I have communicated that I will try my best to be present for it unless some other high-level meeting is scheduled in the ministry (of road highways) or NHAI headquarters in New Delhi.”

Between March 2017 and April 2018, 11 underpasses were opened in the city. Though the authorities have managed to reduce vehicular congestion, the structures are riddled with problems, such as improper signage, irregular power supply and poor drainage, making them dangerous for motorists.

Five people have died in city’s underpasses since March last year. Yet, in a February 2 report in the Hindustan Times, highlighting the safety issues at various underpasses and how speed-calming measures would help, NHAI consultant Saurabh Singhal had said the authority would urge the traffic police to implement speed limit, but they were “not keen on rumble strips as they would slow down traffic and cause traffic jams”.

In September, then deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh had also cautioned NHAI officials at a road safety meeting that they would be booked in case another accident was caused due to lack of illumination.

Meanwhile, on Friday, some of the other points discussed during the meeting included pillars and bushes obstructing paths of pedestrians at zebra crossings on MG Road near Meena Bazar, and near HSBC building on Netaji Subhash Marg; the closing of a road, from Sector 17/18 dividing road to MG Road at Iffco Chowk, which was resulting in wrong side driving and, thus, accidents; improper blocking of a U-turn on Netaji Subhash Marg exposing turning vehicles to traffic from Iffco Chowk; streetlight poles on Sector 17/18 dividing road and near Iffco Chowk blocking traffic lights; and insufficient width of Exit 16 on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway leading to snarls.

“Overall 14 road safety observations with photographic evidence were shown to the DC. He informed us that necessary actions will be taken regarding each violation and order for relevant engineering changes were also sent to the respective departments for execution,” road safety officer Gurpreet Singh, who attended the meeting, said.

Khatri said he has directed officials from the HSVP and the GMDA to submit an action-taken report on the 14 points discussed in the meeting.

Further, Khatri also appealed to the city’s residents to send emails to the district administration to flag road safety problems, violations or faulty road design.