New initiative hopes to make Mumbai-Pune Expressway India's first 'Zero Fatality corridor'

In order to reduce the number of accidents on the arterial Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd and road safety NGO SaveLIFE Foundation.

MSRDC authorities claim that the collaboration will attempt to transform the expressway into a "zero fatality corridor", over the next 3-4 years. It should be noted that the collaboration also includes Maharashtra Highway Police, IRB Infrastructure, DY Patil University, Ogilvy, JP Research and several hospitals including those in the vicinity of the expressway.

Mumbai-Pune Expressway to be India's first ‘Zero Fatality' road corridor

A press release sent to the media stated that the initiative will focus on improving the four E's of road safety on MPEW, panning across Engineering, Emergency Care, Enforcement and Education.

MSRDC Chairman and Minister of Public Works Eknath Shinde along with senior MSRDC officials and others were present while signing the MoU. "MSRDC is committed to create the safest roads in India and hence associated with SaveLIFE Foundation and Mahindra & Mahindra on this unique initiative. We invite the general public to support us in this initiative by ensuring they drive safely on the expressway", noted RL Mopalwar, MD and Vice Chairman of MSRDC.

Speaking on the occasion, Veejay Ram Nakra, Senior Vice President, Sales & Customer Care, Automotive Division, M&M Ltd, said "As responsible corporate citizens, we at Mahindra are committed towards making India's roads safer. In fact road safety is expected to improve significantly when every component of the road system including the vehicle, road infrastructure, traffic engineering, driver training, road etiquette, enforcement, education, awareness, as well as the laws that govern the road system, have safety as an inherent virtue. Hence this initiative is our contribution to make roads safer. It has always been our endeavour to educate people about road safety and going forward we will undertake multiple activities to help imbibe values of road safety."

SaveLIFE Foundation, recognised for its work in the area of road safety and emergency medical care, conceptualised the project along with MSRDC and Government of Maharashtra. "Road Safety has to be a collaborative effort to be successful. We are thankful to MSRDC, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maharashtra Police and all other partners for coming together with us to attempt this unique initiative", stated Jayant Banthia, the Former Chief Secretary of Maharashtra and the Chief Mentor of the initiative at SaveLIFE Foundation.