Task force meeting reviews highway safety measures

Bagalkot: District authorities have decided to take strict action to clear encroachments and unauthorised commercial structures along highways to improve road safety and reduce accidents in the district.Deputy commissioner Sangappa directed officials to identify unauthorised shops, structures and roadside establishments that obstruct safe vehicular movement and initiate action as per rules, at the district-level task force committee meeting on highway safety.He said accidents were increasing on highways passing through the district and stressed the need to effectively implement the Supreme Court’s directions to reduce road mishaps. Officials from the National Highways Authority, PWD, transport department and police department will conduct survey and prepare a list of encroachments for removal, he said.The DC instructed officials to identify accident-prone spots and implement necessary safety measures. Warning signboards, speed-control measures and other precautionary steps should be effectively enforced, and departments concerned must submit compliance reports, he added. He also sought reports regarding parking arrangements, roadside facilities and other related works.SP Siddharth Goyal said the police department would fully cooperate in clearing encroachments. He suggested preparing a detailed list of encroached locations before initiating eviction, and emphasised the need for coordinated action among departments.PWD executive engineer Durgadas, National highways authority project director Pavan Kumar, RTO officer Chandrashekhar Patil, district transport officer KK Lamani and other officials were present.