Yamuna Expressway becomes deadly in winter! No fog lights, no reflectors… trust God for your journey in fog

Mathura: Winter has arrived, and along with it the fog has also started spreading its blanket. But the safety of passengers on Yamuna Expressway, considered the most modern in the country, has been left to Ram’s trust. On this 165 km long expressway from Noida to Agra, necessary arrangements to guide vehicles in fog are missing, due to which it is becoming an expressway of death.

When this expressway was inaugurated 13 years ago, it boasted of world-class facilities. But the reality is that even today gross negligence is being done here in the name of security.

What are the fatal flaws on the expressway?

• Reflectors are missing: Most of the red and yellow reflectors that were installed on the railing to shine the lights of the vehicles at night have disappeared or are broken.
• Faded white stripe: The white strip indicating lanes on the road has also been erased at many places, making it difficult for drivers to understand the road at night and in fog.
• Broken railing: At many places, the railing (fencing) on ​​the side of the expressway is broken, due to which stray animals come directly onto the road and become the cause of accidents.
• Defective CCTV and no speed control: It is claimed that most of the CCTV cameras are faulty and there is no control on the speed of vehicles, due to which speeding vehicles invite death.

What do drivers and passengers say?

Taxi driver Devendra Baba says, “Travelling on the Yamuna Expressway in fog is like playing with death. You never know when, which vehicle will hit where.”

Bus driver Chailbihari Sharma says, “When there is dense fog, nothing is visible in front. Due to the absence of reflectors, the road cannot be seen.”

This is not just the pain of the drivers but of every passenger who passes through this expressway. Every year in winter, dozens of vehicles collide and many lives are lost, but the expressway authority and the police are not ready to learn any lesson.

What should be the arrangements?

Experts believe that to prevent accidents, these steps should be taken with immediate effect:

• Fog lights and shining reflectors should be installed on the entire road.
• Vehicles without reflector tape should be taped at toll only.
• Drivers should be made aware to drive slowly and carefully through announcements at toll plazas.

Until these steps are taken, your journey on this expressway is at the mercy of God.