SHILLONG, April 22: Accidents have become all too common on the Umiam-Jorabat Expressway and the Shillong Bypass, the two busiest and most important national highways in the state.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has ruled out any engineering fault. He advised people to drive with caution.
In February, six people, including a priest and three nuns from the Diocese of Bongaigaon, died when the vehicle they were traveling in collided with a truck in Sumer. Recently, an oil tanker caught fire after colliding with a car on the Umroi ring road and exploded.
On Saturday afternoon, a truck overturned just after the Umsning bypass, leaving its driver and some other occupants injured. Two-wheeler riders found it difficult to cross the stretch as oil from the truck’s engine spilled, making the road slippery. Officials poured sand on the road to prevent any accidents.
An NHAI official denied any engineering fault on the road.
Stating that the NHAI conducts an inquiry after every accident, the official said the February accident was also investigated to find out if there was any fault on the curve in the area, but nothing was found.
A recent study revealed that 45% of truck drivers driving on this road were required to wear glasses.
The District Road Safety Committee, which is headed by Deputy Commissioner Ri-Bhoi, and officials of PWD, police department and NHAI meet regularly to discuss and make roads safer for people.
There are many accidents on the state’s two busiest highways
