The residents of Sector 23 in Haryana's Sonipat have raised a serious security concern regarding the safety of the elderly, kids and others in the locality, as there is a growing trend of two-wheelers speeding through the inner road to avoid highway rush.
The latest trend among the bike riders has become a daily hazard as bikes generally pass onto the inner road at a speed of around 80-90 kmph. The road concerns connect Sector 23 with Vikas Nagar.
Expressing disappointment, the residents have alleged civil inaction. They said that repeated complaints have been raised with the civic authorities but no concrete action has been taken so far to address their concern.
The trend has now become a cause of tragedy in the locality, with the most recent incident taking place on the evening of October 19. At around 8:50 PM, a speeding scooter was on the inner road when it hit a child. The child suffered a broken collarbone. Residents allege that the October 19 accident was not an isolated incident and that several mishaps have occurred on the stretch, and children and elderly people have often been among the injured.
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No one feels safe stepping out
The residents said that speeding two-wheelers have now become common on the inner sector road, which was meant for slow-moving neighbourhood traffic. Many residents said that they fear even stepping out of their homes.
The sector residents further added that they have approached both HUDA and the Municipal Corporation several times. According to them, officials did acknowledge the problem, but no action was taken so far.
What residents demand
While the concerns were ignored and the children were injured, the demand remains modest yet fulfilled. The residents have been asking for speed breakers to be installed on the road to bring down vehicle speeds, a basic safety measure they said has so far been overlooked.
They have also urged the authorities to ensure that funds meant for sector roads are used for safety measures like these. "A child has already been seriously injured. Authorities should not wait for a more tragic incident before acting," a resident said.