Atal Tunnel, the world's longest motorable tunnel in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district, has witnessed three accidents in 72 hours. A day after PM Modi inaugurated the tunnel, drawing nationwide attention and applause, accident happened as a result of people's reckless driving and the urge to click selfies in the 9.02-km long horseshoe-shaped tunnel.
Atal Tunnel has attracted hundreds of tourists and motorists, but they are setting a bad precedent by racing and over-speeding in the newly-built landmark.
"Three accidents were reported in a single day after the tunnel was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on October 3. The accidents were recorded by the CCTV cameras installed inside the tunnel. Showing a complete disregard for traffic rules, tourists and motorists have been clicking selfies while riding," Brigadier K.P. Purushothaman , BRO Chief Engineer, Atal Tunnel, said in a statement.
Reckless driving menace
According to Purushothaman, stopping vehicles anywhere in the middle of the tunnel is strictly not allowed. The Brigadier has also requested the police to patrol the tunnel for adherence.
"Once the inaugural function finished, there has been scant deployment of traffic police personnel, resulting in complete chaos and rash driving by tourists from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh," Purushothaman was quoted as saying by Outlook.
In order to curb reckless driving and over-speeding, the police have installed doppler radar inside the tunnel. The speed limit is between 40-80km per hour, exceeding which will attract a fine.
