MACT calls on Centre, State to look into 'killer stretch' in Delhi where 247 road accidents occurred in 2021

A Motor Accidents Claim Tribunal (MACT) in the national capital has asked the Central and Delhi governments to develop measures to deal with motor vehicle accidents happening at a particular stretch of the city, infamously known as the “killer stretch” [Aradhana & Ors. (LRs of Kamlesh Dubey) v. Untraced and Pushpa & Ors. (LRs of Omkar) v. Untraced]..While dealing with two accident-related deaths, MACT judge Vinod Yadav had earlier sought data on accidents where the offending vehicles had remained untraced.Data from five police stations that had jurisdiction over that particular stretch revealed that out of 247 accidents that took place in 2021, offending vehicles had remained untraced in 96 cases..“This Tribunal has noticed that in most of the cases which go untraced, the accident takes place between 1am to 5am. It is also a common experience that there are a few foot-over bridges, as a consequence whereof the people tend to cross the road (highway) through iron grills, after damaging or removing the same and in some cases jumping over the same,” the Tribunal noted.Judge Yadav underscored that the stretch in question was referred to as the “killer stretch” in the media and in social circles..For more clarity on the route, the MACT took note of the map of National Highway 1 (Grand Trunk Road) from Singhu border till Karnal by-pass (Mukarba Chowk) leading to Mukandpur, where a particular stretch of road had iron grills installed at considerable number of places on the dividers. On that stretch, it was found that there were hardly any CCTV cameras..Calling for urgent remedial measures to be taken, the MACT suggested;A study needs to be conducted to analyse and identify the points where maximum accident(s) take place and then take remedial measures. The “strategic points” need to be earmarked on the aforesaid stretch for installation of CCTV cameras and speed monitoring cameras.There has to be dedicated police staff earmarked for patrolling and keeping a watch over the traffic during wee hours. A plan may be made to have more foot-over bridges after identifying the points. There should be frequent inspection of the iron-grills placed/installed on the divider road and in case of damage, same should be repaired promptly..Towards the same, various agencies such as the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Delhi government, the Traffic Police Department of the Delhi Police and the DCP (Provisional & Logistics) were asked to have a joint meeting and look into the matter with “utmost seriousness” to save “valuable lives” and to apprehend and bring to book “offending vehicles with fair amount of certainty”..[Read Order]