Unprecedented Rise In Road Accidents On Yamuna Expressway: 145 Deaths Till July 2019 Over 111 Recorded In 2018

Presenting a grim picture of the Yamuna Expressway connecting Delhi and Agra, the stretch has witnessed 357 accidents in 2019, resulting into a total of 145 deaths, while leaving another 822 injured till 31 July, reports The Hindu.

The figures on the casualties and accidents on the 165 km long expressway came out as a result of a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by an Agra based lawyer Krishna Chand Jain.

The data gains much significance, as it marks a major increase in casualties and accidents compared to the previous years. In 2018, the expressway witnessed 659 accidents which resulted in 111 deaths. A year before that in 2017 the figure stood at 763 accidents and 146 deaths.

Safety concerns over the expressway have been drawing traction ever since a bus careened off the road and plunged into a drain on 8 July, leaving 29 dead on the spot.

Built at a cost of Rs 12,839 crore, the stretch was launched in August 2012 with much pomp and show. It is presently managed by Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA).