Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma directs officials to fix 'black spots' to reduce road accidents

Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Saturday directed officials to launch a special drive to fix black spots in the state to reduce road accidents, an official release said.
He emphasised identifying accident-prone areas and improving them quickly to prevent loss of life and property from vehicle accidents.
According to the release, the Chief Minister has instructed the Public Works Department officials to ensure that the quality of work is maintained during the campaign and that the tasks are completed within the specified timeframe. He mentioned that work to improve black spots in the state is being undertaken at a cost of approximately Rs 2350 crores, aimed at reducing accidents.
He further directed that strict action be taken against those who do not adhere to the prescribed standards in road construction and repair works. It is noteworthy that the NHAI has identified 40 black spots and is working on their improvement at a cost of Rs 812.64 crores, out of which work on 13 has been completed, and the remaining is in progress. Similarly, the NHAI is about to start work to improve 37 other identified black spots at Rs 821.51 crores.
Additionally, the Public Works Department is working to improve 176 black spots in collaboration with NHAI at a cost of approximately Rs 650 crores, the release said.
These works are ongoing. The Public Works Department has also committed to fixing 117 identified black spots by March 31, 2025. Furthermore, the Rajasthan State Highway Authority is working on improving 30 identified black spots for Rs 21.72 crores, with completion expected by January. Additionally, safety improvement works are being carried out on four roads for Rs 20.34 crores, as per the release.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the tanker-truck collision on Bhankrota Ajmer Road in Jaipur on Saturday rose to 14, as confirmed by DCP West Jaipur, Amit Kumar.