The Kempegowda International Airport route has seen 110 incidents between January and April of this year, resulting in 30 fatalities and 111 injuries. According to city traffic police, drivers who surpass the 80 kmph speed restriction on this section of the road may face fines.
Every four days, on average, someone passes away on the airport road.
Overspeeding was a contributing factor in almost 35% of the KIA road accidents reported in 2023 and this year, according to MN Anucheth, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
The number of car accidents on Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) Road has increased in the previous few years.
The population residing in the suburbs off KIA Road from Yelahanka to Devanahalli is growing significantly, according to DR Siri Gowri, DCP (traffic-north), and numerous apartments have lately been built along it. “We’ve seen that there are more accidents when traveling toward the city.
DR Siri Gowri, DCP (traffic-north), stated that a number of apartments have lately been built along KIA Road, and the population residing in the suburbs off of it from Yelahanka to Devanahalli is growing significantly. “We have seen that the direction towards the city has a higher frequency of accidents.
The Hebbal bottleneck is a common obstacle for city workers. They must depart from home far earlier if they want to make it to the city and arrive at work on time. Sometimes, even then, they are unsure if they will arrive on schedule. They bike or drive at fast speeds because they are under a lot of pressure,” she said.
Villages line both sides of KIA Road, which runs between Yelahanka and Devanahalli. The locals are accustomed to crossing the road on foot, and although the area is increasing, they are not accustomed to sudden development. It is necessary for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to arrange for flyovers, underpasses, and skywalks. On the road, these items are lacking. The fast-moving cars are unable to slow down for fear of causing more collisions.
Therefore, the driver typically ends up running the pedestrian or two-wheeler over and continues driving,” Gowri added. Additionally, the majority of the communities’ service roads lack speed limiters. We’ve suggested such needs to NHAI. There aren’t enough signboards. We need signboards with reflectors,” the officer stated.
“The law is not feared by anyone. There has been a rise in overspeeding, triple riding, helmet-free riding, driving without a license, and utilizing phony number plates. Over time, all of these are noticed. They bike in front of the cops in a one-way manner, without a helmet. They don’t give safety any thought. We no longer manually book cases and tally spot penalties. Now, our employees snap pictures and send them notifications,” Gowri stated.
“The inadequate streetlighting on the route is another issue. All internal roads, including the airport, are completely dark. Gowri stated, “We’ve asked NHAI to increase the streetlights.” Weekends are more accident-prone; Friday, Saturday, and Sunday account for the majority of these incidents. A senior police officer claims that people who work for private companies, techies, and students from various parts of the city come for a fun ride to KIA, Nandi Hills, and the nearby areas.
They had mishaps on their way back between 3 a.m. and 9 p.m. “The only way to prevent accidents is for people to respect the law, think about their and others’ safety, and follow the traffic rules,” Gowri said.