A concrete action plan to mitigate the increasing number of accidents in black spots on the national and State highways is still hanging in the balance even as the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) has come out with an updated list of such spots in Kozhikode district. Enforcement activities are given priority sidelining proposals that suggested possible realignment and effective speed control or road widening measures.
The district has 32 accident-prone areas on the national and State highways as per the NATPAC study. Among these recently identified areas, 18 are located on the national highways and eight are within the city limits. Risky junctions and crossroads top the list for immediate action.
Even with surveillance cameras operating in most of these areas, the punitive measures have failed to reduce the occurrence of new violations. The ongoing highway widening works have also added to the safety challenges.
“The Payyoli-Moodadi stretch and the Azhiyoor-Kaninatti stretch of the Kozhikode-Kannur National Highway are the worst examples for poor road safety measures despite the recurring accidents. Speed detection cameras alone will not stop speed limit violations. What we need is quick action to expose reckless drivers,” said P.V. Vishnu, a youth organisation volunteer from Payyoli. He added that bus drivers and taxi operators on the route have not yet learned from such haunting accident stories.
Police officers associated with the traffic safety measures claim that they have been involved in the identification of over 100 black spots in the city limits for adopting measures to alleviate accidents. According to them, all these spots have been marked for the public and drivers to be vigilant. Structural changes in these stretches would be possible only with the intervention of the local administrators or highway authorities concerned, they said.
The functionaries of various traders’ forums and road safety movements said that these marked spots are no longer visible on the city roads due to poor maintenance. They also added that these marks, once part of a road safety awareness drive, cannot be deemed as a comprehensive accident prevention plan.
