No clear signs indicating constructions as roads in Kerala turn into death traps

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Construction on national and state highways without clear signs or temporary dividers is putting commuters' life at risk. People manage to surpass such dangers with their lives in their hands. Most of the accidents happen to two-wheeler riders. Accidents also happen to cars and lorries and some of them even overturn. The situation will worsen with the coming of monsoons.

A cooking gas tanker overturned on the Thiruvananthapuram-Mangalapuram route the other day. A major accident was averted by a small margin. The tanker overturned because the service road under construction was not closed.

The reason for the recurrence of accidents is the attitude of the authorities who do not value the lives lost on the road. Roads in various places from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod are in dangerous condition. Clear warning signs are not installed at many places.

In Thiruvananthapuram, there is no sign indicating the road to take in the half-completed section of the busy Vellayambalam-Vazhuthacaud road.

Last week, a car and an ambulance collided on the under-construction Manjeswaram-Kunchathur national highway, causing an accident in which 3 people died because the ambulance came on the national highway by taking a detour. The reason was that the direction indicator could not be seen clearly.

Reason for accidents

1. Non-installation of readily identifiable signboards at work sites

2. Non-installation of temporary dividers with warning boards at diversion points

3. Not putting up boards with reflectors so that they can be identified even at night