Staff reporter
Guwahati: Once envisioned as a vital transit corridor across Assam, National Highway-27 (NH-27) is now grappling with an alarming rise in accidents, unregulated traffic flow, and a glaring absence of safety enforcement. Once a rural route, the highway has gradually transformed into a congested urban thoroughfare, without the necessary planning or infrastructure to support its new role.
Local residents are increasing their voices about the deteriorating situation. While talking to ‘The Sentinel,’ one commuter lamented the widespread neglect of traffic rules. “People themselves are to blame. I often warn them, but they just ignore the rules to save time—at great personal risk. The government has made laws, but there’s no discipline,” he noted, stressing the need for civic awareness.
Echoing this sentiment, Amar Deka, another resident, pointed out the irony of recent developments, “Before the road was expanded, accidents were fewer. Now there’s more space but also more reckless driving.” Another commuter Indrani Baruah also highlighted a critical oversight in infrastructure: “We badly need streetlights between Khanapara and Jalukbari. The darkness after sundown turns the highway into a hazard zone.” The rapid and disorganized urbanization along NH-27 has turned the once-orderly road into a corridor of chaos, particularly during peak hours. Traffic snarls, confusing road layouts, and a lack of structured traffic regulation have worsened the situation.
Adding to the concerns are several identified “black spots”—high-risk 500-metre zones with repeated fatal accidents. Although the Assam District Road Safety Committee has acknowledged these zones, actual corrective measures on the ground remain insufficient. “Identification alone isn’t enough,” a senior committee official admitted. “We need on-ground action to reduce these risks, and though some steps are underway, the follow-up has been sluggish.”
Even new infrastructure projects like flyovers, intended to decongest traffic, have become accident-prone due to poor planning. The lack of signage and clear markings has led to confusion, encouraging dangerous driving behaviour on these elevated roads.
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