‘Who will compensate us for our injuries, damages’: Victims of crumbling roads recount harrowing experiences

While speaking to The Indian Express, he said, “I was going on a potholed road on my bike. Near Sector 40 lights, I bumped into two big potholes following which I fell. Thank God, I was wearing a helmet, due to which my head was saved but I got some injuries on my elbow and legs”.

Detailing his ordeal, Sanjay Kumar, another resident, specified how he bumped into a potholed stretch in Sector 22, that left his car damaged, following which he had to spend thousands of rupees for repairs.

The 16-kilometre stretch that he often takes is a “pain”, he said.

“I am a daily commuter from Zirakpur to Chandigarh and have to travel on a nearly 16-km stretch that is full of potholes. Due to the poor road condition, my Volkswagen car recently developed a sudden cranking noise from the front right side. When I asked the authorised service centre they quoted over Rs 17,500 plus labour charges for replacing the damaged suspension part. “However, I managed to get the repair done at around Rs 5,500 through a local mechanic,” he said.

“The bad condition of this road is causing unnecessary damage to vehicles and financial burden on commuters. Who shall compensate for our damage,” he asked.

Professor (Dr) Karan Vinayak, who commutes daily from Sector 45 to Sector 10 and goes to PGIMER also when needed, told The Indian Express how he just paid Rs 10,000 last week as shockers and suspension of his car got damaged due to potholes.

“My Car — Alto K10 — got affected due to potholes and the bad shape of roads. This would not have happened, if the roads would have been regularly repaired and in good shape. I got my suspension, shockers damaged and had to get my car repaired. Even the starring parts were repaired. I had to pay around Rs 10,000 for overhauling the systems of suspension, steering and shockers,” Vinayak said.

Amandeep Singh, a resident of Sector 38-A, also met with an accident while driving near the Panjab University (PU) area.

“I was driving near the PU area when I fell due to the potholes. You can imagine the plight of two-wheelers. It is unsafe all over Chandigarh. The situation becomes all the more tough during rains. If we try to navigate, the car drivers bump into us,” he said.

Mohit Gupta, a resident of Sector 25 said, noted that wear and tear of suspension, shock absorbers and consequent excess tyre wear due to faulty alignment is a known fact when it comes to driving via damaged roads.

“At times I have seen accidents too on the road caused by drivers trying to avoid potholes and changing lanes without notice. So timely care of potholes on roads in any city effectively means enhanced human and vehicle lives and a lot of monetary savings for the residents too,” he added.

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