Killer road: Every third day, a death on Agra e-way
AGRA: The 302-km- long Agra Lucknow Expressway, though a high quality road, is also deadly. On an average there are four accidents in a day and a death every third day, according to an Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) reply to an RTI query.
Concerned over the rate of accidents and number of deaths, a lawyer from Agra has written a letter to the chief minister, seeking effective action against those violating speed limit on the fast track road.
“The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) replied to an RTI application earlier this month, giving certain information reflecting the sorry state of affairs on Agra-Lucknow Expressway. Safety comes under a big question mark on this premium road linking the state capital with the Taj city,” said KC Jain, RTI activist and Supreme Court lawyer.
“There were 1966 road accidents in a span of 17 months in which 191 citizens were killed on Agra -Lucknow Expressway. This included 853 accidents and 100 deaths from August 2017 to March 31, 2018 and 1113 accidents and 91 deaths between April 2018 to December 2018, as revealed in two consecutive replies from UPEIDA,” Jain said.
“It is a cause of concern that in 2018, the number of accidents because of stray animals was 145. There were railings and fencing on the sides of the e-way which are damaged, so responsibility should be fixed for this,” he said.
“The reply from UPEIDA under RTI further revealed that in 2018, 96,33,739 vehicles crossed different toll plazas on the expressway and after imposition of toll tax, an amount of Rs 177 crore was realized. So every month 8 lakh vehicles pass through this expressway rendering Rs 15 crore as toll tax every month,’’ Jain said.
‘In reply to the query, the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority revealed that there was no record for challans issued to vehicles violating speed limit on the e-way. According UPEIDA, the transport departments of districts through which the expressway passes must be having details. The expressway passes through Agra, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Kannauj, Kanpur city, Unnao, Hardoi and Lucknow districts,” Jain said.
“Surprisingly, no speed cameras are installed on the e-way,” he said.