Road Under Construction Causes Accident - Engineers Booked - TOI Bangalore

For probably the first time, ever, two BDA engineers and a project-in-charge manager were on Friday arrested by the Bangalore traffic police in connection with a ghastly road accident. The accident on September 3, due to an unpainted divider, killed two persons and injured one near Outer Ring Road in Devarabeesanahalli, exactly opposite Accenture and Ecospace tech park.

The arrests are said to be the direct outcome of a meeting chaired by Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B Dayananada a few days ago instructing all traffic police officials pin the blame on and arrest BDA and BBMP engineers in-charge of badly-maintained roads in case of fatal accidents.

(Above) Mangled remains of the vehicle which rammed into the median, killing two and injuring one. (Below) The clumsily-placed hazard board at the median in front of theDevarabeesanahalli flyover following the accident. 

Confirming the arrests, deputy commissioner of police (Traffic East) Babu Rajendra Prasad told Bangalore Mirror, "We have arrested AEE K Sripad Raju and AE Pradeep from the BDA, along with project manager Vittobha from Simplex Infrastructure Private, to which the work of maintaining the roads and completing the project had been outsourced.''

The trio has been booked under sections 279 (negligent act on a public way), 304 (A) (causing death by negligence), and 337 (causing hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others). Dayananda told Bangalore Mirror: "I have instructed the traffic police to book cases against the concerned civic officials wherever their fault is found. In this particular case, the engineers and project manager were arrested for failing to paint the central median with reflective paint and install sign boards cautioning drivers on the road about the barrier."

Sources said that after the accident, a small reflector board held up by stones has been placed at the site. However, even this is said to be not very visible. Sripad Raju told Mirror, "Road safety is a different job and it has to be implemented by B-Trac. Painting and putting up sign boards is work that is supposed to be taken up by the traffic police. The accident occurred because of rash driving and not because of incomplete work. Putting the blame on us and holding us responsible is not done in this case." However, Prasad said: "If the work is incomplete, why do they deem the road safe enough for motorists to ply? They should close off all roads until the roads are completely ready for travel. We also held a meeting with BBMP and NHAI officials the day before yesterday where we apprised them about all problem junctions in the city that needed to be addressed in terms of lighting and road repairs."

Source - http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalore/cover-story/A-first-for-city-2-Engineers-held-for-road-mishap/articleshow/42380011.cms