The police and the highway authorities after yesterday’s midnight chase and death incident of a dancer have taken a serious note of the crisis that the ‘toll free emergency numbers’ along the NH-19 were conspicuously missing.

The National Highway Authority of India rules prescribe installation of billboards with illuminated reflectors within a kilometres distance to assist the troubled commuters. The boards would bear emergency phone numbers. Besides, the rule also suggests police patrolling every 5 km of stretch, especially after the evening hours. Sunil Chowdhury, commissioner of police, Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate stressed that the commuters should be ‘easy going’ in the practice of dialing ‘100’ in case of any emergency.

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The National Highway Authority of India has a dedicated 24X7 toll free number (1033) to attend such mishaps or misconduct on the highway. Pranab Mahato, project director, NHAI said: “We receive many calls of different types of discomfort faced by the commuters and more such calls come in during night hours. But, no call from the victim’s vehicle was registered last night. One project of planting CCTV cameras in every 1-km stretch of NH-19 is under implementation.”