Maharashtra: Samruddhi expressway toll drops, serious accidents soar

A bus that met with an accident on the Samruddhi highway and caught fire. File Pic/PTI

The accident figures for the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg show lower fatalities in the first eight months of 2024 as compared to that of 2023 despite a 30 per cent rise in the number of vehicles plying the stretch. While the number of fatal accidents has gone down by 10 per cent and fatalities by 33 per cent, official statistics show that the number of serious accidents has gone up by 25 per cent. However, the total number of accidents declined by 19 per cent.

Official data shared by the Regional Transport Office (RTO) states that while there were 63 fatal accidents between January 2023 and August 2023, the number for 2024 during the same period was 57, indicating a 10 per cent decline. A total of 120 fatalities were recorded during the period in 2023, which came down to 80 during the same months in 2024.

Though the "seriously injured" accidents category shows a rise of 25 per cent with the number of victims also rising by 30 per cent, the total number of accidents overall has seen a decline of 19 per cent. Official statistics show that the number of average vehicles on the Samruddhi Mahamarg in 2023 was around 6 lakh, which has gone up to about 8 lakh in August 2024 - a rise of about 30 per cent.

Other measures

Multi-coloured flags have been installed along the highway, and restrooms and break points have been set up on the highway. In order to minimise accidents and prevent animals from entering the highway corridor, MSRDC has also prohibited the planting of 13 varieties of fruit trees that attract wildlife. Authorities have been claiming that the 701-km-long expressway was planned in a way that wildlife faced no threat. There are a total of nine green overpasses and 17 underpasses for wild animals.

Safety measures undertaken

>> Highway safety police have set up 15 traffic aid posts (TAPs) along the expressway
>> Incident management has been thought through, and MSRDC has deployed over 150 security personnel drawn from the pool of ex-servicemen to man the TAPs
>> 21 ambulances, 21 quick response vehicles, 15 cranes of 30 MT each, and 15 patrolling vehicles have been deployed
>> Following incidents of tyre burst, RTO officials have begun random vehicle inspections for the quality of tyres and air pressure
>> Checks for driver sobriety with breath analysers; drivers failing checks prevented from entering the highway
>> Public transport bus checks include inspecting if the vehicle has a backup driver, emergency exits, functional fire extinguishers and first aid kits
>> Counselling on seatbelt usage, speed limits and the importance of taking breaks to avoid road hypnosis