Accidents galore on state’s two busiest highways

SHILLONG, April 22: Accidents have become too common on Umiam-Jorabat Expressway and Shillong Bypass – the two busiest and most important national highways of the state.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has ruled out any engineering fault. It advised people to drive cautiously.
In February, six persons, which included a priest and three nuns from the Bongaigaon Diocese, were killed when the vehicle they were travelling in collided with a truck at Sumer. Recently, an oil tanker caught fire after colliding with a car on the Umroi Bypass and exploded.
On Saturday afternoon, a truck overturned right after Umsning Bypass, leaving its driver and some other occupants injured. The riders of two-wheelers found it tough to cross the stretch as the truck’s engine oil spilled, making the road slippery. Officials poured sand on the road to prevent any accident.
An NHAI official denied any engineering fault on the road.
Stating that the NHAI conducts an inquiry after every accident, the official said the mishap in February was also probed to find out if there was any fault with the curve in the area but nothing was found.
A study conducted recently revealed 45 per cent of truck drivers, driving on this road, were required to wear spectacles.
The District Road Safety Committee, which is headed by the Deputy Commissioner of Ri-Bhoi, and officials of PWD, Police department and NHAI meet regularly to discuss and make the roads safer for people.