KOCHI: Though the accident that killed Miss South India Ansi Kabeer and former Miss Kerala first runner-up Anjana Shajan is claimed to be due to speeding, authorities cannot wash their hands of improper safety measures on the busy NH66 bypass stretch between Vyttila and Palarivattom.
The five-kilometre stretch where the accident took place lacks functioning streetlights. This and improper maintenance of the plants in the median have reduced visibility for motorists. Traders in Chakkaraparambu located on one side of the road said though there are streetlights on the stretch, they are never lit.
According to them, a KSRTC bus hit a roadside tree killing the driver and injuring 25 passengers in the area in November last year. Several pedestrians have lost their lives or have been injured in accidents at night on the stretch over the years.
“With no streetlights and improper maintenance of the greenery in the median, driving cars and bikes at night is dangerous,” said Varghese Joseph, a furniture shop owner.From Vyttila to Palarivattom, the stretch has five U-turns and seven entry points to and from service roads on both sides.
S Gopakumar, an architect and president of Better Kochi Response Group (BKRG), said the installation of streetlights is not in order. Kochi Mayor M Anilkumar said that he will check whether the streetlights on the stretch are working. The streetlights are controlled by Kochi Corporation.
“We had repaired several streetlights in the city. Under Cochin Smart Mission Limited, several new streetlights were installed,” he said. When contacted, the National Highways Authority of India office said the officer concerned is out of station.