New Delhi, (Samajweekly) India’s has identified 5,803 black spots on National Highways based on accident and fatality data of 2015-2018 in 30 states and Union Territories, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
“Out of the 5,803 black spots, temporary measures have been taken on 5,167 black spots and 2,923 black spots have been permanently rectified,” Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
The Transport Research Wing (TRW) under the ministry collected the data on black spots from the states and UTs and forwarded them to the concerned agencies — the National Highways Authority of India, National Highways and Infrastructure Development and DG Roads — for further action.
“Road accident black spot is a stretch of National Highway of about 500m in length in which either five road accidents (in all three years put together involving fatalities/grievous injuries) took place during the last three calendar years or 10 fatalities (in all three years put together) took place during the last three calendar years,” the minister said.
To rectify the black spots, the ministry has taken several steps.
The minister said that black spots are being rectified by immediate short-term measures such as cautionary road signs and markings, transverse bar markings, rumble strips and solar blinkers, among others.
For long-term rectification, measures such as flyovers, underpasses, footover bridges, service roads etc. are being provided wherever required, Gadkari said.
“Each black spot location is being inspected by the road safety officers from the regional offices, project directors of the concerned PIU along with road safety experts who recommend the mitigation measures. Based on the reccomendations, approval is being granted by the regional officers,” the minister said.
The NHAI has issued comprehensive guidelines on the preparation of proposals, granting of sanctions and execution of work for the rectification of black spots, he said.
“Under these guidelines, the regional officers have been delegated financial power of up to Rs 50 crore for rectification of black spots, including land acquisition without sending files to the headquarters for approval,” the minister said.
