Killer roads and not buses cause of infernos

The transport commissioner, Amarnarayan said “In both bus accidents it is suspected that unscientific road culverts on the highways caused the accidents, as the buses hit the culverts first (before bursting into flames). After these incidents, we have received several complaints from bus owners about the unscientific design of national highways. We found some truth in the complaints and have brought the issue to the notice of the Union government,” he added.

A owner of a logistics company said there are lots of complaints about national highways in the state.

A meeting to discuss about the road safety is sought by the transport commissioner Amarnarayan who said “We want to raise several issues related to our roads. The meeting may be convened in the next 15-20 days.” He also urged National Highway Authority of India to redesign the roads to make them safer for long and speedy journeys,”

Necessary action: A senior official in the transport department listed some of the factors that compromise road safety: “Never ending work after the expiry of the time given in the tender, unscientific culverts, dividers, work in patches — these are the few common features of the national highways passing through the state. Things are no different in Andhra Pradesh. Unscientific road design is one of the major reasons for increasing number of accidents on national highways. It is high time we raise the issue at the highest level.”