Saturday’s accident on the Eastern Freeway, which killed six people from a family of nine, is the seventh fatal accident on the showpiece road since it was thrown open in 2013
Saturday’s accident on the Eastern Freeway, which killed six people from a family of nine, is the seventh fatal accident on the showpiece road since it was thrown open in 2013. More importantly, the accident was the third at the sharp turn in Wadi Bunder that has now accounted for 10 of the 17 casualties along the Freeway. Authorities have responded by saying they will install a tyre sidewall to cushion vehicles from impact. While this will definitely be a good move towards improving safety, we wonder why it required the deadliest accident on the stretch for officials to wake up.
This is not the first brainwave officials have had. Rumble strips were installed at exactly the same Wadi Bunder turn, but had to be removed within weeks, as commuters complained that it slowed down traffic and resulted in pile-ups as far back as Orange Gate on the north-bound carriageway and Wadala on the south-bound road. After much hand-wringing, it was decided that cameras would be installed. Eventually, in June 2015, a grand total of eight speed cameras were put up. This for a 17-km-long road! Not surprisingly, the police on Sunday said the accident was not caught on camera.
Saturday’s accident clearly shows that vehicles ought to slow down at Wadi Bunder, irrespective of which carriageway they are travelling on. While authorities work on a permanent solution, this newspaper advocates the return of the rumble strips at the spot, even if it means a bit of a hassle for motorists. Another long-term measure will be to increase the number of cameras to at least 24. Once this is done, the traffic police, too, need to ensure that offenders are penalised promptly. Finally, authorities should install the proposed tyre wall without wasting any time.
Till then, the Wadi Bunder turn will remain a death trap.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
