Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway | Over 100 people died in accidents last 6 months: Govt

The Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway (NH 275) in Karnataka has reported 398 accidents and claimed 121 lives since January, Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari told the Lok Sabha on Thursday (July 27).

Gadkari was responding to questions from Karnataka MPs Sumalatha Ambareesh (Mandya) and Prajwal Revanna (Hassan).

According to the Union minister, 189 accidents resulted in 59 deaths in the first section of the Expressway (Bengaluru to Nidaghatta), and 209 accidents and 62 deaths happened between Nidaghatta and Mysuru part of the Expressway.

Also read: How Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway is changing travel in South India

Recently, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) said it is banning the plying of two-wheelers, autos, tractors, non-motorised vehicles, agricultural vehicles, multi-axle hydraulic trailer vehicles, and quadri-cycles on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway from August 1.

According to official sources, this restriction has been primarily motivated by safety concerns, as slow-moving vehicles on high-speed corridors pose a threat. Generally, bikes, autos and tractors are not permitted on access-controlled highways, which are designed for high-speed commutes at 120 km/hour.

In March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the 118-kilometre Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway which is an access-controlled highway developed by the NHAI. However, it was open for traffic in January.

Also read: Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway: Five months, 570 accidents and 55 fatalities

The project has been developed at a total cost of around Rs 8,480 crore. According to the Union government, it has reduced the travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru from around three hours to about 75 minutes.

Talking about the prevention of road accidents in India, Gadkari, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, said the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has formulated a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue of road safety.

“The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is primarily responsible for development and maintenance of National Highways (NHs). Traffic density on any NH depends upon the location, urbanization, industrialization etc., varies along its route. In hilly and border areas, it is as low as less than 1000 Passenger Car Unit (PCU) and in heavily traffic NHs, it is even more than 1,00,000 PCU.

“Ministry has formulated a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue of road safety based on Education, Engineering (both of roads and vehicles), Enforcement and Emergency Care. Accordingly, various initiatives have been taken by the Ministry,” he said.

Also read: Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway: Penalty for overspeeding may be deducted from FASTag

He said that the ministry administers the electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR) Project to establish a central repository for reporting, management, and analysis of road accidents data across the country.

“Ministry and IRC (Indian Roads Congress) has issued various codes and guidelines, from time to time, to implement various road safety measures so as to minimise accidents on National Highways. Ministry vide letter dated 20.07.2023 has issued guidelines for the provision of signages on Expressways and National Highways by incorporating best practices and International standards to offer improved visibility and intuitive guidance to the drivers. The guidelines are designed to offer drivers clear and concise guidance, warnings, notices, and regulatory information, facilitating a seamless and safe journey on the roads,” Gadkari said.

Also read: Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway will contribute to Karnataka’s growth: Modi