Mangaluru
Members of a forum here have urged the road safety authorities in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts to take necessary action to remove barricades that are found on national highways in the coastal districts.
H Shashidhar Shetty, Secretary of the National Environment Care Federation (NECF), has written to the authorities, and Deputy Commissioners of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, explaining about the consequences of barricades that are being placed on national highways.Shetty said that several fatal accidents have taken place because of barricades on the national highways in the coastal districts.
Barricades have been placed at nearly 10 places on the national highway between Mangaluru and Udupi. Similarly, barricades are found on national highway stretches on other routes too. Such barricades make it difficult for heavy vehicles to move. Meanwhile, several accidents have taken place during the night, due to barricades that are not visible from a distance. I request the police to ensure that if they are placing barricades, then reflectors should be fixed to them, so that it will be visible to drivers, he said, and added that it is the duty of the authorities to ensure the safety of commuters on the national highway.
In fact, the government should take initiatives to construct flyovers or underpasses to ease traffic congestion at major junctions on the national highway, instead of placing barricades. Hence, I have sent letters to the deputy commissioners of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, and to the secretary of the Road Safety Authority, seeking removal of barricades from the national highways, he added.
