AGARTALA, January 6 (TIWN): From Rabindra Bhavan to Sukantala road of the city, construction work is causing huge traffic pile-ups and even leading to accidents, according to Residents of the area. Those who live around sites of infrastructure projects don’t have anything against the construction itself, but they alleged that the Agartala Municipal Corporation are not paying heed to safety and vehicular management rules.

One such area is Sukantala road, where residents said driving has become a nightmare. Construction has been going on in this area for around two years and the roads are a mess,” said Rupam Debnath a resident of the area.

Rupam Debnath added that Rabindra Bhavan and Krishna Nagar were also affected by the ongoing construction work. “We get stuck in traffic for an hour and there are no exits to the main road from our houses as the roads are blocked,” he said.

According to residents in the area, minor accidents have also increased. “There are no barriers in many spots. The traffic department has appointed police personnel in these said areas, but they just chit-chat with each other. This has led to many accidents,” said Rupam.

The lack of coordination between the different road agencies and contractors has made the daily commute residents hell.

According to an expert on traffic engineering, this is one of biggest problems that has lead to hazards on the roads as well as congestion.

“The road agencies normally do not follow guidelines set by the Indian Road Congress. There are stones, boulders and construction material strewn near construction sites. Diversions are not marked properly,” said expert on traffic engineering.

Apart from enforcing the guidelines, expert said there is a need to fix accountability. “Whenever accidents happen, the drivers get blamed. The authorities must be booked if their negligence causes an accident, it should be non-bailable,” he explained.