Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau.
Heavy vehicles from Pantnagar industrial area are being parked illegally on the service lane of the Rudrapur-Nainital highway, raising concerns of potential accidents on the road. This is occurring despite an ongoing road safety campaign in Udham Singh Nagar district targeting overloaded vehicles.
The illegal parking is taking place near the State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (SIDCUL) police post, with the senior superintendent of police (SSP) office just a few kilometres away.
Although regular administrative and police meetings are held to discuss traffic management on the highway, there seems to have been little action taken. Construction on the four-lane highway project, including diversions and widening, has been underway for some time. The service lane is meant to prevent accidents caused by vehicles moving in the wrong direction, but trucks continue to operate against traffic, especially near the under-construction Pantnagar flyover. These violations pose a serious risk of accidents.
Local traders and Rudrapur residents have long voiced frustration over the unsafe conditions caused by heavy vehicles parked along the highway. Earlier this year, during a “Janta Milan” programme in Rudrapur, former director general of police (DGP) Ashok Kumar instructed local police to address the truck parking issue, but it remains unresolved.
SSP Manikant Mishra acknowledged the concern over the vehicles and said, “We have issued continuous instructions to the relevant departments regarding road safety. A campaign against overloaded vehicles is currently underway, and once completed, we will focus on addressing illegal parking.”
In addition to parking violations, the recent installation of rumble strips by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has also raised concerns. Intended to prevent accidents on the highway, many of these strips have already been uprooted. Last month, four people including a pregnant woman died in an accident on the road, prompting NHAI to take remedial measures.
Meenu, an NHAI official, said, “The construction agency installed rumble strips on the instructions of NHAI, but some have been damaged.”
