A 47-year-old motorist died as a result of potholes in Bengaluru roads on Friday, September 17, making it the third such incident in a month. According to The Hindu, the accident took place on Friday when Anandappa S, a resident of T Dasarahalli was returning from work along the Hesaraghatta Main Road in the northern fringe of the city. According to the report, he lost control of his bike and crashed against the barricades at the centre of the main road put up by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).
The police said that the situation was bad as not only was the road laden with potholes, but there was no adequate lighting or proper warning sign. The Hindu report said that a private contractor who dug up the road did not cover up the pit they dug nor did they erect adequate barricades. Police have registered separate cases against the private contractors and concerned BWSSB officials.
This comes after on September 8 a 65-year-old person with a physical disability died after he lost control of his vehicle while negotiating an uneven stretch of Mangammanapalya road in the western part of the city. He was thrown off the vehicle which resulted in injuries on his head and face. According to police, the road was left in a bad condition after authorities took up pipeline laying works over a year ago.
In another recent incident, a biker was run over by a minibus as he lost control while trying to avoid a pothole. That incident took place near Kanteerava Studio off the Outer Ring Road (ORR). After the incident came to light, Revenue Minister R Ashoka had set a deadline of September 20 to repair the city’s road to avoid such accidents.
Potholes have been a recurrent feature of Bengaluru’s roads over the years. The Karnataka High Court in August 2019 had ruled that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) should pay compensation to victims of pothole-related incidents.