Senior officials from the Department of Transport, and the Police inspected the spot near Kurubur village on T. Narasipur-Kollegal Road (stretch of NH-766), about 35 km from Mysuru, where a ghastly accident took place on Monday, May 29, killing ten persons, including nine tourists from Sangankal in Ballari district, and injuring three others.
The magnitude of the accident sent a shockwave across Karnataka and highlighted the issue of safety of commuters on the busy highway where accidents are becoming frequent, endangering the safety of commuters.
Following the accident, the officials, who were accompanied by the NHAI engineers, led by Transport Commissioner Mallikarjun inspected the accident spot to find a solution for addressing the black spots and making the stretch safer for commuters.
They also inspected the mangled remains of the car and the private bus. The car and the bus collided head-on. Police have registered a case and the injured are being treated at K.R. Hospital in Mysuru.
The shocking dash cam visual of the bus shows the car driver, appearing to have lost control over the vehicle, rammed into the bus. The cab (Innova) was destroyed fully, and the bodies had to be extricated from the mangled remains.
Sources in the transport department said a report on the precautions and safety measures to be taken on the stretch, at accident spots and other stretches where the accidents have been reported, will be compiled and sent to the government and the NHAI.
The observations made by the officials during the inspection and the measures to be taken will be incorporated.
“The action in this regard will be made after discussions by the transport department, NHAI, police department and the forest department,” they said.
“The officials were of the view that the road-widening has become inevitable considering the traffic density,” the sources add.
Commissioner for Transport Mysuru C.T. Murthy, RTOs L. Deepak, Bheemanagowda Patil and Police and representatives of the private bus owners’ association were present.
Straighten highway curves
Meanwhile, farmer leader Kurubur Shanthakumar, who raised the issue of lack of highway maintenance and precaution boards along the busy stretch after the accident, said three road curves near Kurubur need to be straightened for preventing accidents. If the problem was addressed superficially, then the purpose of making the road safe will not serve at all. The growth of weeds and shrubs along the curves and other areas need to be addressed with periodic maintenance. The vegetation blocks the visibility. The three accidents had occurred at the same spot in the past but no action was taken, he alleged.
He said the NHAI must act immediately so that such ghastly accidents are prevented. “It’s a serious matter and the government needs to intervene to make the stretch safer for motorists. Rash and negligent driving needs to be acted upon,” Mr. Shanthkumar, a native of Kurubur village, who is the President of State Sugarcane Growers Association and various other farmer associations.
“The villagers and other locals may take up the issue seriously if no action was taken within one month,” he said.
