VISAKHAPATNAM: The death of four tourists from Hyderabad and injuries to 23 others on Friday evening has once again compelled road transport authorities to focus on the condition of roads and vehicles and the experience of drivers using them.
RTA officials said the driver of the ill-fated bus did not take adequate rest, and had long spells of driving from Hyderabad to Vijayawada, Simhachalam and various places in the Visakhapatnam agency, before starting off to Hyderabad.
Like the 2018 mishap at Chinutur in East Godavari district, which killed eight pilgrims from Karnataka, officials squarely blamed the driver for the ghastly incident.
But road engineering experts pointed out that authorities always blame drivers either for drunken driving or working without rest but never point an accusing finger at agencies responsible for maintaining the quality of roads.
A senior police officer said that the roads connecting Paderu, Chintapalle and Anantagiri in Vizag district and Maredumilli, Chinturu, Rampachodavaram and other areas in East Godavari district have been identified as the most dangerous stretches.
Former deputy commissioner S. Venkateswara Rao, who obtained PhD in road engineering and public transport, said that there were a number of hairpin bends and the visibility at these curves was very low in monsoon and winter. The drivers need a lot of experience to negotiate at the steep bends. In most cases, they lose control over the vehicles while negotiating curves and fail to notice the incoming vehicles leading to mishaps and head-on collisions, he added.
ITDA project officer Dr S. Venkateswar said that the Araku ghat road was technically perfect and the latest incident was the result of human folly.
“National Highway 516E that passes from Rajahmundry to Vizianagaram will be widened and that will make the roads ghat roads more motorable for bigger vehicles,” the project officer said.
He also suggested that night-driving restrictions should be imposed for bigger vehicles.
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