Mumbai, March 6: A citizen-led 490-km foot inspection of the Mumbai–Goa National Highway (NH-66) has prompted the Maharashtra Transport Department to convene a high-level review meeting on road safety, black spots and preventive measures along the accident-prone corridor.
High-level meeting reviews safety concerns
The meeting was held at the office of the Transport Commissioner in Mumbai to review safety concerns on the stretch between Palspe in Raigad district and Zarap in Sindhudurg district near the Goa border.
It followed a detailed report submitted by Chaitanya Usha Laxman Patil, a resident of Patni-Kasu in Pen taluka of Raigad district, who undertook a 29-day, 490-km Rasta Satyagraha foot march along the highway to document hazardous spots and safety lapses with GPS-tagged photographs.
Officials examine findings from citizen report
The meeting was chaired by Additional Transport Commissioner Shri Bharat Kalaskar and attended by Deputy Regional Transport Officers from Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, along with executive engineers responsible for the highway works in these regions.
Officials reviewed the findings of Patil’s report, which highlighted 59 deficiencies along the 490-km GPS-tagged stretch, along with suggested solutions. The report pointed out accident-prone black spots, vulnerable curves, potholes, cracks, drainage issues and a lack of adequate safety infrastructure.
Authorities were directed to present the status of accident-prone locations within their jurisdiction and outline plans for permanent rectification.
Action Taken Report initiated
According to officials, an Action Taken Report (ATR) on the deficiencies identified in the citizen report has been initiated and the concerned departments have begun reviewing the suggested corrective measures.
Patil, who walked the entire stretch from Palspe to Patradevi as part of the campaign, said the initiative aimed to highlight the safety concerns of lakhs of commuters using the busy Mumbai–Goa highway.
“Instead of acting only after accidents occur, it is crucial to implement preventive measures so that accidents do not happen in the first place,” Patil said.
Report submitted to transport minister
Following the meeting, Patil also met Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik and submitted the detailed inspection report along with recommendations for improving road safety on the highway.
Describing the campaign as a citizen initiative without any political or organisational backing, Patil said the objective of the Road Satyagraha was to push for safer highways and better protection for commuters.
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Coordination between agencies to improve safety
Officials said the review exercise is part of efforts to strengthen coordination between the Transport Department, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Public Works Department to address safety concerns on NH-66, which has witnessed frequent accidents over the years.
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