Himachal favours road crash-barriers on high altitudes

Shimla, July 31 (IANS) The Himachal Pradesh government Thursday requested the central government to make it mandatory to construct crash-barriers on roads located at a height of 4,000 feet and above, said Transport Minister G.S. Bali.

"The central government should make it mandatory to construct crash-barriers in all the Himalayan states," he said.

At least 21 people were killed and 15 injured when a state roadways bus Tuesday rolled down into a gorge in Shimla district.

Bali told reporters that he had written a letter to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, requesting him to make it mandatory to construct the crash-barriers.

Replying to a query over the rise in accidents in the state, the minister said the state government would request the Central Road Research Institute in Pune to conduct "audit" of various roads in the state.

"We want to conduct 'audit' of at least one road stretch each in Shimla, Sirmaur, Chamba and Mandi districts," he said.

He said the transport department has decided to spend 50 percent of 'challan' money on road safety works. Earlier it spent 25 percent of the amount on such works.

"Besides this, the government would start awareness campaigns as to how to avert accidents and adequate budgetary provisions had been made for the same," Bali added.