The 165-km Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh has implemented all road safety measures suggested by an expert team from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
According to the State Road Safety Council’s annual report, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has met all 21 safety standards.
In August 2018, YEIDA commissioned IIT Delhi to conduct a road safety audit of the expressway, which spans six districts viz. Gautam Buddha Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, and Bulandshahr.
Following the audit, IIT Delhi submitted a detailed safety report in 2019 outlining key recommendations to enhance road security.
The Yogi Adityanath government directed YEIDA to implement all eight key safety measures along with 21 additional safety standards.
The safety measures included installation of additional signboards before exit ramps, removing unnecessary lane markings, adding rumble strips at entry and exit points, and setting up crash attenuators to reduce noise impact on exit ramps.
Audible shoulder markings have been added throughout the corridor, and all signposts from road shoulders have been removed.
Additionally, shoulder guardrails have been reinstalled as per safety standards, and central dividers have been replaced with flush medians and central guardrails for enhanced safety.
To strengthen emergency response, the expressway is now equipped with 3 Quick Response Team (QRT) vehicles, 11 patrolling vehicles, 6 ambulances, 5 fire trucks, 9 cranes, and 2 JCB machines.
Furthermore, three trauma centers have been set up near the expressway to provide immediate medical assistance to accident victims.
For quick support during emergencies, the ‘Yamuna Saathi’ mobile app and a toll-free helpline have been introduced.
Strict enforcement measures, such as breath tests for drivers, e-challans for helmet and seatbelt violations, and penalties for overspeeding, are being carried out to improve road safety.
Additionally, awareness campaigns and speed limit signboards have been implemented along the expressway to inform drivers and reduce accidents.