Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
New barricade, old problem cranes and buses still roll through Shivajinagar underpass as police look the other way.
Even after a new height barricade was installed at the Shivajinagar underpass, oversized vehicles including cranes and buses continue to pass through unchecked, raising serious safety concerns. A ground report by Lokmat Times found that large vehicles barely graze the barricade while passing, as traffic police personnel posted at the Deolai Chowk side watch on without intervening. In one instance, when a crane was observed passing through, a traffic constable on duty was heard telling the driver, "Go, baba, don't give us tension" allowing the oversized vehicle to pass without any action.
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Locals act, then officials react
The new barricade itself came into existence only after locals took matters into their own hands. Following a spree of accidents at the Shivajinagar underpass, residents installed an unofficial barricade at a lower height to restrict large vehicles. Authorities then removed the unauthorised structure and installed an official one in its place. Locals told Lokmat Times: "We acted, that's why they acted. Otherwise the barricade would not have come for months."
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Lights, not one working
Adding to the safety woes, over 25 lights installed inside the Shivajinagar underpass some of them not been functioning for several days, leaving the passage poorly lit. Citizens have flagged the issue repeatedly, but no corrective action has been taken so far.