International Road Federation flags safety non-adherence in road projects in India

Most road projects are being carried out without adherence to basic work zone safety norms, like poorly marked or unlit diversions, leading to fatal crashes, the India chapter of International Road Federation said on Wednesday.

In a statement, International Road Federation (IRF) expressed concerns over the growing number of fatalities and severe road crashes occurring in and around road construction zones across India.

"Across numerous active construction sites, IRF-India Chapter has observed a lack of advance warning signs for diversions or lane closures, absence of reflective tapes, barricades or cones, poorly marked or unlit diversions, which is extremely dangerous, resulting in serious accidents, especially at night," India Chapter (IRF-IC) president Akhilesh Srivastava said.


Further, he said that there is no deployment of flagmen and marshals and inadequate speed calming measures in these zones.

This has led to a disturbing spike in head-on collisions, wrong-side driving and fatal crashes, all of which are preventable, Srivastava added.

He said a recent tragic incident on the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway is a stark example. A fatal head-on crash involving two vehicles occurred due to an unmarked diversion caused by ongoing roadworks.

"The lack of signage and lane separation led one vehicle onto the wrong side of the carriageway, resulting in the death of both occupants," Srivastava said

IRF-IC demanded immediate action from all stakeholders, including mandatory compliance with IRC Work Zone Safety Guidelines for all National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), State Public Works Departments, and private road contractors.

Safety audits should be conducted before, during, and after construction works, IRF-IC said, adding that stakeholders ought to also focus on public disclosure of work zone plans, diversion maps and timelines.

The concerned authorities also need to come up with strict penalties and criminal liability for fatalities arising from work zone violations, the federation suggested.