Mumbai-Pune Expressway: Transport Department to organise special safety drive after rise in number of accidents

Mumbai: In the wake of recent road accidents, the State Transport Department has decided to launch a special road safety campaign on both highways connecting to Mumbai and Pune. This drive will start from Dec 1 and will continue for six months. The initiative is an awakening call following the death of former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry who was killed in a road mishap in September.

Explaining the objective behind the initiative, another official said that analysis has found that more than 80% of accidents were caused by negligence of drivers and non-observance of traffic rules. “With the objective of creating discipline among the drivers and reducing the number of accidents, a 24 hours initiative of road safety awareness titled 'Suraksha' has been undertaken,” said the transport officials.

Under this drive, both highways–Mumbai-Pune expressway as well as Mumbai-Pune old highway–will be covered. For implementation of this special initiative, 30 transport officials from different zones of Mumbai, Panvel, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune will form 12 teams and educate the motorists about discipline behind the wheels.

“These officials will also take other appropriate measures to prevent road accidents, including identification of accident-prone zones, displaying boards to inform drivers about the past incidents as well as other important information like road curvature etc,” said the officials.

To be supervised by Deputy Transport Commissioner of State Bharat Kalaskar (Road Safety Cell), the drive will be a concerted effort of several departments like the Maharashtra Road Development Corporation, Public Works Department, Traffic Police Department and Highway Police besides NGOs.

Last year, a total of 200 accidents were reported on the Mumbai-Pune e-way, which claimed 88 lives and left 146 seriously injured. From January to October this year, 168 accidents were reported, in which 68 people died and 92 were seriously injured.

Similarly, 149 people lost their lives and 144 were injured in 278 accidents reported last year on the old highway. Till October this year, 231 accidents killed 102 people and seriously injured 160.

In October, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting to discuss various measures to prevent loss of lives on the road.