NELLORE: The Police and Transport departments have roped in civil engineering students for the survey of road safety audit to identify reasons for accidents on Chennai-Kolkata highway (NH-16). As many as 500 engineering students from various colleges are participating in the survey.
The authorities have formed 93 teams of four to five members each. One team will survey a stretch of 2 km and point out lapses like bumpy road, connectivity to villages, lack of service roads and basic amenities at toll plazas, spots from where cattle enter the highway and other issues.
The authorities have provided a proforma to the students to enter details of the lapses identified during the survey. Road Safety Nodal Officer N Sudhakar Reddy and Motor Vehicle Inspector Balamurali Krishna will monitor the survey. “About 90 per cent of the survey will be done by the students. We will submit the road safety audit report to the district administration and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to take necessary steps. The district police will also take necessary steps such as arranging sign boards,” said SP PHD Ramakrishna.
The 182.63-km highway witnesses at least three accidents a day. About 10 to 12 persons die on the NH every month. Official sources revealed that 205 accident-related deaths and 566 casualties occurred on NH-16 in 2015, 162 deaths and 546 casualties in 2016 and 126 deaths and 463 casualties up to September this year.Meanwhile, the police, along with Transport, Panchayat Raj, revenue departments, have identified 60 black spots on the NH.