Blind turns amid high traffic, no divider imperils riders here

Bhopal: The list of accident-prone zones appears to be growing in number and concern as the Bull Mother Farm trisection too has emerged as an accident-prone zone owing to rising traffic volume and inadequate safety measures. Commuters have raised concerns over the blind and unclear left turn towards Kaliasot Road, which has become a major point of confusion for motorists.The trisection, particularly the turn leading to Kaliasot Road, lacks proper visibility. There is no divider or median on the Kaliasot and Kerwa Dam stretch, making it difficult for vehicles approaching from the Sakshi Dhaba side to see oncoming traffic from the Kaliasot direction. As a result, drivers often find themselves at risk of collision if they fail to remain extremely cautious.Around a week back, a speeding SUV allegedly rammed into a bike-borne 24-year-old youth near the Bull Mother Farm trisection on Feb 12 in the afternoon. The youth sustained severe injuries and was rushed to a hospital, where he died while undergoing treatment in the next couple of hours.A senior traffic cop said that traffic on the stretch increased significantly in recent months. The road became a key alternative route for vehicles diverted from Indore Road via the Khajuri area, especially for those heading towards Hoshangabad Road via Neelbad. Motorists use the Kerwa Dam Road–Sakshi Dhaba junction and pass through the Bull Mother trisection, Kaliasot Road and Chunabhatti to reach Hoshangabad Road, adding to the vehicular load.The presence of several restaurants and dhabas along the stretch further contribute to the congestion. On weekends, vehicles can be seen parked on both lanes of the road, adding to congestion. Traffic cops and regular commuters said the combination of a blind turn, absence of a median and surging traffic made the trisection vulnerable to accidents. They said that immediate corrective measures were needed, including the installation of dividers, proper signage and improved road markings.Traffic police officials acknowledged the issue and said they would take up the matter with the road construction agency. A formal letter will be written seeking remedial measures to improve safety, they added.Shilpi Singh, a school teacher residing in the Neelbad area, said that she uses the Kerwa Dam Road to commute to her school daily in the morning and afternoon hours. She said that the Bull Mother Farm trisection became a major accident-prone zone. In the morning hours, a number of school buses pass through this spot, and the left turn is almost blind. Trees and bushes on the corner of the left turn need to be cleared to improve the visibility of vehicles approaching from Kaliasot Road, she added.Ashok Sinha, a resident of Sharda Vihar Colony, said that the traffic on Kerwa Dam Road increased a lot. Stray cattle and stray dogs sit on the road, especially near the Bull Mother Farm trisection, making it a dangerous spot. The area remains poorly lit at night, further increasing the risk of road accidents. People indulge in over-speeding on this stretch of road. Speed-governing measures too are lacking here.Ratibad SHO RB Sharma stated that the Ratibad police already apprised senior officials about the safety concerns at the Bull Mother Farm trisection. The junction is now identified as an accident-prone spot, along with the Sakshi Dhaba junction, under the jurisdiction of Ratibad police station.Additional DCP (Traffic) Basant Kaul acknowledged that, from a road engineering perspective, the trisection is technically complex and hazardous. He pointed out that the left turn at the junction is blind and recommended corrective measures.Kaul further explained that vehicles negotiating the turn at a 45-degree angle face a high risk of skidding, particularly two-wheelers, due to the curvature and gradient of the road. He added that due to the curved alignment at the junction, the concerned road construction agency should conduct a detailed technical assessment of the site and implement appropriate remedial measures.