Panchkula NH-73 has maximum black spots in Panchkula, says PEC report

The police had suggested that at Ramgarh village stretch on NH-73, the authorities need to put up signboards along with cat’s eye (a retroreflective safety device used in road marking). Traffic lights are also to be installed here and a ‘lay by’ road needs to be constructed.

At the Nada Sahib Gurdwara T-point on NH-73, signboards, cat’s eye and traffic lights are to be installed. Also, a ‘lay by’ road is to be constructed.

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A project report submitted by the Department of Civil Engineering of PEC University has highlighted the black spots in Panchkula. The study was conducted to identify the black spots in Panchkula using geographical information system by Professor Har Amrit Singh Sandhu. Other than identifying the black spots, the report has also suggested changes that can be made to prevent accidents in the areas specified as black spots.

Professor Sandhu says, “We have noticed that trucks were responsible for 25 per cent of the accidents and only 9 per cent of accidents were caused by two-wheelers, which constitute 60 per cent of motor vehicular population.”

Citing reasons for a large number of accidents on the highways, he says, “Due to relatively high speed of vehicles and larger percentage of heavy vehicles, around one-third of the total accidents occurred on national highway. That is why four major black spots were identified on the national highway.”

Out of the 162 accidents which happened between 2014 and 2015, almost 33 per cent of the accidents occurred on the highway. The report has identified 13 black spots in Panchkula and suggested the changes that can be made to prevent accidents at these spots.

As for NH-73, the report suggests that there is a need for widening of the road leading to Madanpur village by 2 metres. At present, the road is 5-metre wide.

The second accident-prone area close to NH-73 is the entry gate to ITBP. The report suggests that there should be two light points on the highway and a cautionary indication board on the road from Ramgarh to Panchkula. Another black spot on the highway is the blind turn on the road leading from NH-73 towards Ramgarh. The said turn should have a smoother curve as per the report.

The dividing road of Sector 12-A and Industrial Area Phase I is another black spot. The report says that there is an illegal entry on the dividing road of Sector 12-A and Industrial Area Phase I which either needs to be closed or should be widened and designed to adequate width.

According to the report, the frequency of accidents is more on Saturday than on Friday and 65 per cent of accidents were not fatal.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Munish Sehgal says that they keep proposing various steps to bring down the number of accidents but they do not get cooperation from departments concerned.