BENGALURU: To put an end to frequent accidents involving two-wheelers on NICE Road, the management of the Nandi Economic Corridor Enterprises (NICE) Limited has decided to close the road for two-wheeler traffic between 10 pm and 5 am from January 16. This is being done in line with the directives of the Joint Commissioner of Traffic, Bengaluru, stated an official release.
A NICE official said, “While the circular bans two-wheelers only at nights until further orders, we are working towards making the rule a permanent one for safety reasons. There have been accidents on the road. The decision has been taken after a detailed discussion with the traffic police and is based on their suggestion. We have been contemplating on the same for the last one year.”
According to records, 5-6 per cent of commuters on Nice Road are two-wheelers and this decision will lead to a financial loss of approximately 1 per cent. The management is also working on concretising the stretches from Kanakapura Road to Tumkuru Road, due to which one lane has been shut for vehicular movement. After FasTag was introduced, separate entry and exit lanes, along with separate marked stretches, were introduced for two-wheelers.
“The stretches have no street lights as per expressway standards. Also, four-wheelers and heavy vehicles go at a high speed. The safety of two-wheelers is a matter of concern. Cases of drunk and driving have also been noted,” a traffic police personnel said. A NICE spokesperson told TNIE that trucks heading from Mumbai to Chennai are high on NICE Road. “Due to poor visibility at nights as well as reckless riding by two-wheelers, accidents were common. The step has been taken to put an end to that,” he eleborated.