Accidents on the rise as truckers evade toll

Ropar,: The number of fatal accidents on the Ropar-Nurpur Bedi road has seen a sharp upswing over the past one year. The reason: Truckers take to this narrow stretch to avoid paying toll on the Ropar-Anandpur Sahib road. Over the past one year, 17 persons have lost lives in 20 accidents on the road stretch, as reported at the Nurpur Bedi police station. The Ropar-Nurpur Bedi road was laid to connect Nurpur Bedi villages with Ropar city. Being a narrow stretch, it is not being able to support heavy traffic. “The number of accidents have increased sharply. Most of vehicles plying on the road are trucks moving to and fro from the industrial areas of Himachal Pradesh,” pointed out Dinesh Chadha, an advocate who commutes daily between Nurpur Bedi and Ropar. Even police officials of the Nurpur Bedi police station agree that the number of fatal accidents has increased as truckers take to this narrow stretch to avoid paying tax at the Nakkian village toll plaza on the Ropar-Anandpur Sahib road. Trucks plying are usually loaded with construction material or raw material used in different industries. Truckers blame their clients (owners of factories) for making them adopt the alternative route. “Most of the industrialists refuse to compensate us for the toll paid. In no way can we pay high rates of toll tax from our own pocket. We have no other option but to evade tax by taking the alternative Nurpur Bedi-Ropar road,” said a trucker. Residents of the area said the police should keep a close check on the entry of heavy vehicles on the road stretch from the Ropar side so as to minimise the number of fatal accidents taking place in the area.