The number of cases of road accidents on Yamuna Expressway has increased in 2023 but on the contrary there has been a dip in the number of fatalities in these accident cases.
New Delhi: Road accident incidents on the Yamuna Expressway have increased this year compared to the previous year, but the good news is that there has been a decline in the number of fatalities in these accident cases. Notably, a total of 341 accident incidents were reported through October, averaging 34 accidents per month on the Expressway this year. Last year, 310 accidents took place on the expressway, according to YEIDA data. However, on the contrary, the number of fatalities in accidents has surprisingly witnessed a decline, with a total of 80 people reported dead in accidents on the expressway.
Hence, on average, eight individuals have lost their lives due to accidents on the Yamuna Expressway this year. In contrast, a total of 105 people lost their lives in such accidents in 2022, with 91 of those fatalities occurring up to October, resulting in an average monthly death toll of 9.1 last year.
Regarding injuries, until October this year, a total of 596 individuals, with a monthly average of 60, have sustained injuries in accidents on the expressway. This year, a total of 675 people have been injured in road accidents on the Yamuna Expressway.
According to data, the number of accident cases has steadily decreased each year since 2016. However, in 2023, for the first time in eight years, accident cases have seen an increase compared to the previous year.
This year, the highest number of accidents, 51 in total, were reported in the month of June, while July witnessed the highest fatality rate, with 14 people losing their lives in expressway-related accidents. Last year, in the month of June, 113 people sustained injuries in accidents on the Yamuna Expressway.
Most recently, a significant road accident occurred in the Rabupura Police Station area of Greater Noida last month, once again raising concerns about the safety of the thoroughfare. On October 21, eight individuals, including four minors from the same family, tragically lost their lives when their car was allegedly struck by an unidentified vehicle. Originally from Palamu district in Jharkhand, the deceased individuals were residents of JJ Colony Phase 3 Madanpur Khadar in the Kalindi Kunj police station area of New Delhi. The police have yet to establish the cause of the accident, and no arrests have been made in the case so far.
Officials have revealed that the accident occurred at the 25th kilometer from the starting point of the expressway. The nearest cameras to the scene are located at the 19th and 38th kilometers.
“The car was traveling at a speed of 119 km/hr. There are no cameras and even proper lighting at the location where the accident took place. We are investigating the matter but have not been able to gather significant evidence so far. We have examined vehicles passing through the cameras at the 19th and 38th kilometers, but have not found anything. We are interviewing various individuals and hope to find something soon,” said an official involved in the investigation.
The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), responsible for maintaining the expressway, has announced an increase in the number of cameras.
“The car was going at a speed of 119 km/hr. There is no camera and even proper lights at the spot where this accident took place. We are investigating the matter but till date have not been able to collect any significant evidence. We looked at vehicles passing through the camera of 19th km and 38th km, but could not find anything. We are questioning different people and hope that we will find something soon,” said an official involved in the investigation.
Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) responsible for maintaining the expressway state that officials have ordered an increase in CCTV surveillance o the expressway.
“Currently, a total of 64 cameras are installed at the Yamuna Expressway. We have ordered installation of 120 more cameras at different locations. The new cameras will be installed by March 31. This is in line with the recommendation of IIT Roorkee, which had submitted a report after a detailed study on the safety of the expressway,” said Dr Arun Vir Singh, CEO of YEIDA.
He stated that a fresh study will be done in the coming months to check if more lights are required to be installed at the expressway.
“We have achieved success in reducing deaths in the last few years. However, it needs to be reduced further. The recent incident (On October 21) was very heartbreaking,” added Singh.