Death of Bike Rider, Police for FIRST Time File Court Case against PWD, Railways for Safety Standards
Mangaluru : Recalling the incident, where a young bike rider lost his life after his two-wheeler skidded at Maravoor late night on 18 September 2019. The deceased Akshith Poojary (24), the son of Janardhan and Lalitha couple of Kinnipadavu was returning home after work at around midnight when tragedy struck. Akshith, who was riding a motorcycle died after hitting the support pole of the height barrier placed at the edge of the Airport Road near Maravoor Railway Over Bridge. The pole was positioned just after the bitumen stretch of the road at its sharp curve. Bajpe Police had registered a case. Recalling yet another incident which took place at the same Maravoor Railway bridge on 21 August 2018, a big rod from the damaged over-bridge fell on a moving car, but luckily no one was injured, except for damages to the car.
Now, it’s nice to note for the FIRST time under the leadership of Police Commissioner Dr P S Harsha, the police have taken action following the motorcyclist’s death after he hit the support pole of height barrier. Invoking the provisions of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, the city police have sought action against the Southern Railway (SR) and the Public Works Department (PWD) for alleged non-compliance to road design and safety standards that resulted in the death of a motorist on September 18.
Briefing the media during the Phone-In programme that takes place every Friday, Police Commissioner Dr P S Harsha said after registering a FIR, the Transport Department officials submitted a report stating that the wrong positioning of height barrier’s support pole and the sharp road edge as the cause for the accident and consequent death While the SR had erected the barrier to prevent over-sized vehicles hitting the Rail Over Bridge, the PWD was the custodian of the road. “For the first time we have invoked Section 198 (A) of the M.V. Act and sought action against the agencies for bad road engineering. Mangaluru Traffic (North) police have filed a report under Section 198 (A) of the M.V. Act before the jurisdictional court. The judge will take necessary action,” Dr. Harsha said.
24-year-old Akshith Poojary
In the meantime, the Residents of the locality (Maravoor) had lodged complaints many a times about the safety standards of the Over -Bridge, but neither the Railway authorities nor PWD officials had taken any action. At least this death case of the two-wheeler rider which is filed by the police, will get the right action from the judge, thereby teaching a lesson to the concerned Railway and PWD officials of their negligence towards the safety of the people.
