2 days ago
Congress Seeks Assam Toll Suspension After Fatal NH 27 Crash
A minibus and a truck crashed on a highway in Assam.
Seven people died in the accident.
Police said the minibus crossed the divider and hit the truck.
The driver may have lost control after the bus hit a large pothole, but police are still checking this claim.
Congress leader Debabrata Saikia said the crash shows a bigger problem with some toll roads.
He said people should not have to pay tolls for roads that are unsafe.
He asked the government to stop toll collection until the roads are repaired.
He also requested inspections, investigations, and help for the victims’ families.
Congress leader Debabrata Saikia urged Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to suspend toll collection across Assam.
Saikia requested an independent safety and maintenance audit of all toll roads and plazas in the state.
The appeal followed a head-on minibus-truck collision at Tetelia near Sonapur that killed seven people.
Police said the minibus crossed the divider after its driver allegedly lost control; a pothole-related claim is being examined.
Saikia sought compensation, inquiries into maintenance and contractual failures, and a publicly disclosed corrective action plan.
- Who
- Congress leader Debabrata Saikia, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, police, and people involved in the crash.
- What
- Saikia sought suspension of toll collection and a safety and maintenance audit after a fatal minibus-truck collision.
- Where
- The collision occurred on National Highway 27 at Tetelia near Sonapur in Kamrup Metropolitan district, Assam.
- When
- The crash occurred on Sunday evening, and Saikia wrote to Gadkari on Monday, August 31.
- Why
- Saikia said tolls were being collected on roads reported to be unsafe and poorly maintained, creating public-safety and accountability concerns.
Congress leader’s concerns
Police account and ongoing examination
Cause of the crash
Congress leader’s concerns
Debabrata Saikia cited the collision as an example of dangers linked to pothole-ridden and poorly maintained toll roads.
Police account and ongoing examination
Police said the minibus driver allegedly lost control, crossed the divider, and struck the truck; they are examining the claim that a large pothole caused the loss of control.
Scope of response
Congress leader’s concerns
Saikia argued that reported accidents and poor conditions on other Assam toll stretches require a statewide suspension of toll collection and a comprehensive audit.
Police account and ongoing examination
The police account described the circumstances of this specific collision, while no broader official finding about all Assam toll roads was stated.
Key facts
- Death toll
- Seven people died; four were killed at the scene and three later succumbed to injuries.
- Crash location
- National Highway 27 at Tetelia near Sonapur, Kamrup Metropolitan district, Assam.
- Vehicles involved
- A minibus travelling toward Guwahati and a truck travelling in the opposite direction.
- Requested toll action
- Immediate suspension of toll collection in Assam until roads are repaired and certified motorable.
- Requested audit
- An independent safety and maintenance audit of all toll plazas and toll roads in Assam.
- Other demands
- Compensation and relief for victims’ families, inquiries into maintenance and contractual failures, and a public corrective action plan.
Quotes
Debabrata Saikia
Senior Congress leader and former Assam assembly opposition leader
“Suddenly, the driver of the bus lost control of the vehicle, jumped the divider and hit the truck in the other lane. The bus driver allegedly lost control after the vehicle fell into a large pothole in the middle of the road. We are examining the claim.”
theprint.in
“The situation in Assam requires not a piecemeal response but a statewide corrective intervention in the interest of public safety and administrative accountability”
theprint.in
Sources
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