Bihar road construction department initiates 'safety inspection audit'

 In response to concerns raised by the Railway Board regarding the increasing number of incidents involving vehicles falling onto railway tracks from Railway Overbridges (ROBs) in Bihar, the Engineer-in-Chief of the Road Construction Department, Sohail Akhtar, has directed all chief engineers to conduct a 'safety inspection audit' of all ROBs.

The letter, dated January 11, emphasizes the need for immediate construction of adequate crash barriers on the approach roads to prevent such incidents. The directive specifies that the crash barriers should adhere to the 'Standard Specifications and Code of Practice for Road Bridges' outlined by the Indian Roads Congress (IRC)-2015 and traffic safety barrier guidelines.

The Railway Board's letter, dated November 10, 2023, expressed concern over the lack of safety fencing/barriers on the approach roads to ROBs on national and state highways, attributing it to the rising incidents of vehicles falling onto railway tracks. The Engineer-in-Chief's instructions highlight the urgency of the safety inspection audit and crash barrier construction, with an insistence on compliance with the IRC-2015 standards. The Road Construction Department aims to address these safety issues promptly to ensure the well-being of commuters and prevent accidents involving vehicles and railway tracks.