Lack of safety measures on ghat road cause of several accidents
A woman with her child at the Ruia Hospital in Tirupati. Her husband was injured in the private bus mishap and is undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Tirupati: People's representatives and the government could not escape from public ire after eight people were killed and 44 others injured in the accident when a private bus from Dharmavaram fell in a deep valley at Bhakarapet ghat road on Saturday night.
Though the ghat road is considered as an accident-prone zone, the negligence of the government in taking foolproof security measures was being pointed out by many people.
The commuters on the ghat road were demanding safety measures on the five-kilometre stretch. There was a demand for setting up of a cell tower where the mobile signals are weak and also constructing parapet walls with support railings at vulnerable places on the ghat section. The lack of mobile signals was one of the major hurdles in communicating the accident news to the police on Saturday night. The victims were helpless as they could not convey the news to anyone but only made loud cries.
As there were no mobile signals, the victims of last night's incident could not inform the police or other helping hands as there were no signals. Many drivers who commute on ghat road everyday and Bhakarapet residents have once again demanded the setting up of cell towers and other safety measures.
The public of Bhakarapet found fault with people's representatives who did not focus on safety measures on the ghat section despite many accidents taking place. They recalled that not even sign boards were there at important locations and accidents became common at the spot with several trucks, jeeps and autos getting involved in mishaps.
One of the survivors in Saturday's bus accident Suresh said the bus travelled in air for a few seconds before landing in thee gorge after crossing speed-breaker where no zebra crossings or sign board were there. Had there been any sign board, the accident would have been averted, he felt.
Venkata Reddy, a resident and businessman in Bhakarapet, said the officials and local politicians never cared for the precautionary steps on the ghat road but at least responded now after eight lives were lost.
He recalled Minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy's statement to lay a four-lane road on the ghat at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore and set up railings at vulnerable points.
Another engineering student Raghu from Bhakarapet also found fault with the public representatives and officials for the accident.