Mangaluru: Ever tried to speed along the Mangaluru-Udupi National Highway 66 National Highways are meant for driving at a decent speed of 60 kmph to 80 kmph. But a driver can never ever reach the maximum prescribed speed limit of 80 kmph. The reason behind this are the numerous barricades that have come up along the NH to reduce over speeding and allow inter-section crossing at strategic locations.

These barricades at some points have been placed unscientifically that they are causing inconvenience to the drivers, especially at night resulting in accidents, but none fatal so far. Mangaluru police commissioner M Chandra Sekhar says they have been put up after many accidents due to overspeeding were reported. The barricades will minimise accidents which are a result of overspeeding.

Mangaluru city traffic police assistant commissioner of police Uday Nayak says that due to the placement of barricades, accidents have reduced drastically in Mukka and Kulur areas. As a case in point, he said that Mukka checkpost area has seen five accidents last year and in one such case, there were five fatalities. "This year both Mukka and Kulur have not reported any accidents till now," he added.

Udupi superintendent of police K Annamalai negates that the barricades have been placed unscientifically.. "During the monsoon, the reflectors get damaged and they have to be replaced and we are doing it. There is no truth in saying that the barricades have been spaced unscientifically. If at all, some cases are due to locals shifting the barricades when displaced or shopkeepers trying to move it in front of their shops," he said.

Annamalai said the barricades have been spaced in such a way that the three barricades have a bus length of space between each of them so that large vehicles come to almost a dead stop and move at 20 kmph.

NHAI project director Samson Vijay Kumar says that it is the prerogative of the local police to place barricades on NH in order to minimise accidents. "We cannot put speed breakers on the NH as drivers fail to notice it resulting in accidents. But barricades are at a height and are visible," he added.