Road divider in Pune turning into a death spot

The long stretch of road divider at Shinde Chhatri Chowk in Wanavdi Bazaar area is proving to be dangerous for drivers. The Wanavdi police claimed that in the last couple of months four vehicle drivers have lost their lives due to the dividers and over a dozen mishaps have taken place.

A local resident, Vikas Chavan, told DNA that since the dividers do not have reflectors and cats eye, motorist find it a problem to spot it at night. “If one is not cautious while driving, there is every possibility that a motorist would hit the road divider,” he remarked.
Moreover, there are potholes in the road, adding to the woes of motorists.

Commenting on Saturday’s incident where banker Rangarajan Narasimhan lost his life, Chavan recalled that he and his friends heard a big noise after Narasimhan’s car hit the road divider.

“We rushed to the spot and found the man trapped in his car, screaming for help. We called other people and extricated him. He had injuries on his face and chest. We called a private tempo and rushed him to hospital,” he recalled.

The senior police inspector of Wanavdi police station, BD Mohite, also confessed that the spot near the bazaar has become accident prone area due to the dividers.

“We have sent a letter to the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) to rectify the dividers and put up reflectors and cats eyes. But so far nothing has been done by the PCB. After Saturday’s incident, we are again going to write to the PCB to heed our request,” Mohite said.