Recent incidents of tankers plunging in to a road caved pit at St Inez and Tonca, seems to be a smart way to test smart city work. There are no safety measures put in place. It is disappointing to see these incidents because of the road cave-ins. Unfortunately, the authorities concerned give contracts for the development and maintenance of infrastructure to those, who don’t qualify. This results in construction of poor-quality roads. It is very unfortunate that police showing their reluctance to register an offence against contractors and government authorities, by merely booking the driver for negligence. There is a tendency among policemen to catch the driver of bigger vehicles rather than finding the root cause of crashes. The Indian Road Congress SP:55 guidelines provide appropriate guidance and examples of best practice to improve the safety for all those who could be affected in work zones. Legal precedent clearly holds that the relevant governments and authorities responsible for maintaining roads/highways are always obligated to ensure care and safety towards the citizens and commuters.
