Absence of safety net on ORR claims 126 lives so far

HMDA in no hurry to put in place HTMS

​Hyderabad: Frequent accidents on the Outer Ring Road are sending a shiver down the spine of drivers. Out of the 216 accidents reported, 126 persons died in accidents are various spots on the ORR during the last three years. As many as 53 persons had lost lives this year itself making the ORR a death trap.

One of the major causes for accidents is attributed to the apathy of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority officials in not ensuring safety measures. They are showing no urgency in putting in place the highway traffic management system (HTMS) which was supposed to have been implemented six years ago.

Finding it difficult to face the ire of citizens, the police and HMDA have come up with a few temporary measures. Despite implementing the maximum speed limit to 100 kmph on ORR at a few stretches, penalising the over-speeding vehicles remains a challenge for the police and HMDA.

Recently, the Cyberabad and Rachakonda commissionerates have installed nine speed guns at several vantage points to control the speed of the vehicles to curb accidents. The recent death of actor Ravi Teja's brother Bharath Raj is a case in point.

According to the police, several accidents were reported between 11 pm and 5 am and speed violations from 8 am and 5.30 pm. Without completion of HTMS project it would be a herculean task for the police to control speed of vehicles and curb accidents. Incidentally, over 500 speed violation cases have been booked in a window period of 10 hours on ORR stretches on Monday in Shamshabad, where Bharath Raj lost his life on Saturday.

The traffic management system helps the Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited (HGCL) to ensure traffic safety efficiently on the ORR. The system integrates traffic, road and weather data using smart devices dotting the ORR stretches. The devices include emergency call boxes (ECBs) automatic traffic counters cum classifiers (ATCC), closed circuit televisions (CCTV) system and meteorological observation system.

The data collected by the smart devices are channelled to the traffic control centre through digital transmission system. The conditions of the ORR will be monitored and analysed at the main traffic control centre (TCC) at Nanakramguda. The conditions of the ORR will be disseminated to ORR users through variable message sign (VMS), website and SMS on a regular basis.

The HTMS project was supposed to have completed three years ago along with the ORR, said a highly-placed source in the HMDA. A GO No 34 was issued on January 31, 2014 according administrative sanction of Rs 167.42 crore, where Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) will share Rs 143 crore for the HTMS project. The GO wanted the HMDA to complete the HTMS project in 18 months and private firm which takes up the project will operate and maintain it for five years. However, the HMDA is yet to complete the HTMS throwing the safety of ORR users to winds.

Accepting the delay, a senior HMDA official revealed to The Hans India that there have been several reasons for the delay. The unrealistic estimates for the project have made bidders to shy away from the HTMS project. However, he said, the HMDA has sorted out the matter and embarked on the project. He ensured that the HMDA will complete the project at the earliest.