Thiruvananthapuram: Chief minister V D Satheesan has urged Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari to order an immediate and comprehensive safety review of the ongoing NH 66 widening and construction works across Keralam following the death of eight students in a road accident at Kaipamangalam in Thrissur.In a letter to Gadkari, the CM said the accident, in which the students were killed in a collision involving a truck on an ongoing NH-66 construction stretch, raised serious concerns about the safety of the entire corridor during the construction phase.He said the loss of eight young lives was “an unbearable tragedy for their families” and a reminder of the responsibility of agencies entrusted with the construction and management of NHs. “I hope that the circumstances leading to this tragic accident will be thoroughly investigated,” he said.The CM said the accident should not be treated merely as an isolated incident, but should prompt a comprehensive examination of safety arrangements along NH 66 in the state.The CM requested Gadkari to direct the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to undertake an immediate, independent and comprehensive safety review of all NH 66 stretches where construction is in progress.The proposed review should cover temporary traffic diversions and the safety arrangements provided at points where traffic is shifted from the original carriageway. It should specifically examine the adequacy of road lighting, warning signs, reflective markings, barricades, delineators and crash barriers, besides other safety measures, the letter said.Satheesan also called for scrutiny of the manner in which construction vehicles and heavy vehicles are parked and regulated inside construction zones. He sought measures to prevent “hazardous or unauthorised parking” of such vehicles.The safety review should also determine whether contractors and concessionaires executing the NH 66 works are complying strictly with safety conditions and traffic-management plans prescribed by NHAI.The CM urged Gadkari to personally intervene in the matter and ensure that the review was conducted within a fixed timeframe. “I therefore request your good self to personally intervene and direct NHAI to undertake a comprehensive, independent and time-bound safety review of the entire ongoing NH 66 works in Keralam and to ensure that immediate corrective measures are taken wherever shortcomings are found,” he said.Meanwhile, against the backdrop of a series of road accidents in the state in recent days, public works minister P K Basheer has called an emergency meeting on Sept 8 here. The meeting will be attended by the state police chief, transport commissioner, NHAI state head, Natpac and road safety authority officials and district collectors. The meeting will review the causes of recent accidents on major roads and national highways and discuss urgent measures to strengthen road safety, traffic management, road maintenance and safety infrastructure.
