CHITRADURGA: The recent road accident involving a bus and a truck that were engulfed in flames has given rise to numerous unanswered questions, particularly concerning the incomplete stretch of the Pune-Bengaluru nh 48 between Chitradurga and Tumkuru.
A significant portion of the roadway between Hiriyur and Tumkuru remains under construction, forcing vehicles to navigate the service road. Compounding this issue, the median is notably narrow, which increases the likelihood of vehicles overrunning it.
Highway officials, tasked with installing iron railings on the median, have neglected this responsibility, thereby facilitating the occurrence of accidents.
In a conversation with TNIE, Anjini, a regular commuter said, “Since the inauguration of the six-lane road, I have been forced to use the service road for the majority of the journey between Chitradurga and Tumkuru.
The road is poorly designed and substandard. The NHAI has been entirely negligent in addressing the challenges faced by vehicle owners.”
At Vasantha Narasapura, the construction of an underpass has been ongoing for the past two years without completion, yet toll collection continues unabated. Anjini urged the government to instruct toll operators to cease toll collection on this road.
Furthermore, there is a glaring lack of medical facilities for those injured in accidents on the highway in the Chitradurga and Hiriyur areas.