Ghaziabad: PWD has identified five accident-prone stretches or blackspots across the city following directions by the Supreme Court. The spots identified include Loni bus stand, Mohan Nagar roundabout, Rajendra Nagar roundabout and Vaishali metro station cut. Officials said one of the blackspots at Johri Enclave metro station has been rectified so far.A blackspot is defined as a 500-metre road stretch recording five or more accidents involving fatalities or grievous injuries in three consecutive calendar years.The identification comes in line with a Supreme Court order dated April 13 this year in a suo motu writ petition triggered by road deaths on highway stretches. The apex court directed that a highway safety task force, comprising officers from the district administration, police, NHAI, PWD, and local bodies, must be set up to oversee implementation of remedial measures and enforcement of safety protocols.“The framework set by the apex court will give greater leeway for agencies to crack down on illegal cuts and blackspots which are often created arbitrarily or under local pressure,” PWD chief engineer Ramraja said.The PWD manages approximately 120 km of road stretches in Ghaziabad, including Delhi-Bairauli road, Lal Kua to Thakurdwara, Gazipur to Modinagar, Mohan Nagar to Gyani Border, and Mohan Nagar to Bhopura. An additional 850 km of road stretches are located in rural areas of the district. The identification of blackspots is the first step in a comprehensive highway safety overhaul mandated by the Supreme Court to address accident-prone zones across the national highway network.Traffic department data shows one person died on Ghaziabad roads every day in the first five months of this year. From Jan to May, the city reported 461 accidents, in which 186 people were killed and 342 others injured. During the corresponding period last year, the city saw almost as many crashes — 459 — but fewer deaths, at 165, while 346 people were injured. Illegal parking of vehicles, including along the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) and Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), contributed to more than 30% of accidents.In 2023, the traffic department had identified 16 blackspots, including Vijay Nagar intersection, Lal Kuan intersection, Ghookhna Morh on Delhi-Meerut Road, Duhai, intersection at ITS College at Muradnagar, intersection at Ordnance Factory, Hanuman Mandir, Rawli Road intersection in Muradnagar, Sethli intersection, Muradnagar canal, Jalalpur intersection, Mohan Nagar intersection, Arthala intersection, Rajendra Nagar, Seemapuri border and Karan Gate.
