BENGALURU: Blame it on poor road infrastructure, negligent driving or lax enforcement of rules, the number of accidents in Bengaluru witnessed a 100% jump in 2018. It’s now ranked third in the list of cities whose population exceeds 1 crore, much worse than the 12th position it occupied the previous year.
The ranking is part of the latest data released by the ministry of road transport and highways (MORTH) for 50 cities. Bengaluru has seen the sharpest increase in the number of accidents and also the steepest decline in ranking.
The number of accidents in Bengaluru rose from 2,297 in 2017 to 4,611 in 2018, while its position slipped from 12th to third. Only Chennai and Delhi fared worse than Bengaluru in 2018, while Bhopal and Indore stood in the fourth and fifth positions.
The number of injuries also increased nearly 100% — from 2,083 in 2017 to 4,129 the next year. Fatalities went up marginally, from 653 to 686, while the ranking fell by one position.
Bengaluru has been battling poor road infrastructure, which several experts believe is one of the major reasons for increase in accidents. The condition of roads has only worsened in 2019 although comparative accident data is yet to be officially released.
Earlier this month, traffic police identified 2,000 potholes and handed over the list to BBMP, whose mission to make the city pothole-free has not been completely successful.
Date: November 18, 2019
Leave a Reply