HYDERABAD: Experts and civil engineers are of the opinion that a fair number of design changes are required on the ORR for reducing the number of accidents — which have increased drastically — on the stretch.
According to the data shared by Cyberabad and Rachakonda police, the number of fatal accidents on the ORR this year has added up to 34. In 2019, it was 35. According to Cyberabad Traffic Police’s report, there was an increase in accidents during the lockdown as the drivers were sleep-deprived and overworked. Many people drove long distances as there was no public transportation and there was a scarcity of drivers.
The maximum number of fatal accidents took place between 6 pm and 12 am, particularly between 6 pm and 9 pm. This happened due to drunken driving, over speeding, and recklessness during evening hours, said the report.
In one of the incidents, five engineering students were injured when their car crashed into a road median and overturned on the ORR at Pedda Golconda in Shamshabad in September. The students were on their way to their university to collect their degree certificates. In another incident, a 26-year-old woman and her 11-month-old baby died in a road accident on the ORR, near Koheda in November.
In yet another gruesome incident, six people were killed and three others were injured in a hit and run case on the Outer Ring Road at Muthangi near Patancheru in November.
Speaking to Express, KM Lakshmana Rao, VICS Director and JNTU professor, said, “The first issue is that the geometric alignment of ORR is not as per the original DPR. Apart from this, changes need to be done to make sure pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheelers do not enter the main road. The mesh boundaries have been torn by citizens hoping to take a convenient shortcut. The railings near the median and the boundaries are also too short and pedestrians can easily hop over to cross the road.”
However, HMDA officials completely refuted these allegations, and said that the original DPR was followed to the T. “Intelligent Transport Management Systems need to be put in place. Cars that are being driven at high speed often cannot gauge the distance between their vehicle and the vehicle ahead of them. This leads to delayed braking, causing the majority of the accidents,” added the professor.
Proper signboards required to prevent mishaps
Sravya P, a civil engineer and professor, said, “Proper signboards have to be installed to alert the drivers as changing the entire design of the roads are not possible. Therefore, at least to reduce the faulty design, small changes can be carried out. There are barely any signages on the ORR on sharp curves. These need to be installed. Rotary and cross intersection for traffic management and channelling should also be maintained properly.”