Two years after a comprehensive survey by Traffic Police suggested vital safety measures for Nagpur’s flyovers, the authorities are yet to implement important changes leaving commuters at risk. The urgency for action comes in wake of this accident on Pachpaoli bridge on Monday. In October 2022, the Traffic Police had meticulously surveyed 30 flyovers across the city and had proposed critical interventions to curb fatalities, particularly in light of two major accidents on Sakkardara and Shaheed Gowari flyovers in September 2022, which together claimed five lives.

 

The suggested preventive measures encompassed the installation of metal fencing or sound barriers along parapet walls, deployment of CCTV cameras, placement of rumble strips, installation of blinkers, and ensuring proper illumination. These recommendations aimed to address the alarming rise in fatal accidents, with a staggering 23 reported from 2020 to 2022, exposing the dangerous condition of city's flyovers due to inadequate maintenance by construction agencies. In September 2022, two particularly harrowing accidents occurred on flyovers, where riders on two-wheelers were flung off the bridges by rashly driven four-wheelers. Lives could have been spared had protective fencing been in place on the parapet walls.