The International Road Federation (IRF) has expressed deep concern at the bus accident on the Yamunotri highway near Damta in Uttarkashi and has stressed on the need of installation of crash barriers, separate tough driving license for mountain drivers and stricter fitness and overloading norms for vehicles.
“The mountain roads in the country are prone to regular road accidents and a lot needs to be done to ensure road safety, especially in higher areas in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and North East States. The government should plan to incorporate the latest technologies and safety features, including installation of soil and slope stabilisation and roadside safety in the mountainous terrain infrastructure, crash barriers, intelligent traffic plans, rumble strips, use of speed governors and proper signage’s,” said IRF president emeritus KK Kapila.
“Installation of crash barriers , special separate tough driving license for mountain drivers, use of vehicle tracking system, tough vehicle fitness norms and certification and development of safety code for hills should also be adhered to make road travel safe and sustainable on mountains,” said IRF India president Satish Parakh.