In the last five months, over 40,000 cases of traffic rule violations have been reported on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, including more than 6,000 incidents of driving without a seatbelt. While the expressway has made travel quicker, it has also led to an increase in accidents.
Confirming this development, a senior official from the Maharashtra transport department stated that a total of 40,909 cases of rule violations have been registered from December 2022 to April 2023. This includes 6,983 cases of overspeeding, 6,441 incidents of lane cutting, and 6,012 cases of driving without a seatbelt.
Although the number of rule violations has decreased compared to December 2022, many drivers continue to violate the norms, according to the official.
The official further stated that around 80% of accidents occur due to driver negligence. "On April 6th, four people were killed after the car they were traveling in rammed into a stationary truck parked along the roadside near Urse toll plaza. During the investigation, it was found that the truck driver had halted the heavy vehicle on the highway to attend to nature's call," the official said, adding that some of the passengers were not wearing seatbelts.
"Furthermore, more than half a dozen people were injured last Thursday near the Khopoli exit on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, as 11 vehicles, mostly cars, rammed into a truck. Overspeeding was one of the main reasons behind this accident," the official added.
"A special drive against violators has been in effect since December 2022, with several teams working on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway to reduce accidents," the official said.
"Discipline among motorists is a must, and we are doing our best to maintain it," the official added.
