Parsis demand better safety on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway

Trucks using the right lane on the highway, which is prohibited

The rising number of fatal road crashes along the killer Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway has shocked the Parsi community which often takes road trips to the Iranshah Atash Behram pilgrimage site in Udvada, Gujarat. Mumbai Central-based road activist Dr Boorjis Doctor, who made around 70 visits to the accident spot in Palghar district where Tata Group former chairman Cyrus Pallonji Mistry died in September 2022, provided crucial inputs to prevent accidents along the stretch. However, "inaction by the Highway State Police (HSP) has given a free hand to traffic rule violators who dodge the amended Motor Vehicles Act," Doctor alleged.

Dysfunctional blinkers (circled) at the spot where Cyrus Mistry lost his life. Pic/Hanif Patel

According to road activist Dr Boorjis Doctor, the faulty road design and inaction by the Highway State Police (HSP) against rule violators on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway led to fatal crashes on the killer stretch between Dahisar and Talasari. Cyrus Mistry - the former chairman of Tata Group - died in a road crash on a bridge over Surya River on the NH-48 in Palghar district while returning from a holy pilgrimage in Udvada.

Dr Boorjis Doctor, road safety activist

Official data procured from HSP Maharashtra reveals that a total of 353 accidents took place on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in 2023, killing 184 people and seriously injuring 179 others, while 32 people sustained minor injuries. In the first two months this year, a total of 53 accidents have taken place along the stretch, killing 24 people and seriously injuring 22. There were also a few accidents reported in March. Doctor stated that members of the Parsi community in Mumbai are compelled to use the killer road to reach the Iranshah Atash Behram pilgrimage site in Udvada (Gujarat) as train tickets are usually not available.

Trucks blocking both, the centre and right lanes

"There is a high influx of vehicles on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway, but I have never seen an HSP vehicle patrolling the area," Doctor told mid-day. "I was moved by the tragic death of Mistry, which caused me to visit the accident more than 70 times. I noticed that heavy vehicles brazenly violated traffic rules on the highway, but not a single HSP patrol van was present. I have photographed heavy vehicles driving either in the middle or right lanes, which is an offence as per the Motor Vehicles Act," Doctor said, adding that he had raised concerns with the former additional director general (ADG) of police (traffic) but no action has been taken.

The spot where Cyrus Mistry met with the accident. Pics/Hanif Patel

"At the time of any accident, the cops mention in their panchnama that it took place due to the lane-cutting and overtaking from the left side. But I wonder what the highway police are doing when truckers compel road users to overtake from the left side?" In mid-day's series of reports after Mistry's death, it was highlighted that the width of the southbound lane on the Charoti flyover is 10.5 metres, which is narrowed down to 7 metres on the bridge built over Surya River in Palghar district.

The accident spot today, blinkers installed, which are now dysfunctional

"Heavy vehicle drivers deliberately occupy the middle and right lanes, leaving no option for cars but to overtake from the left side or manoeuvre between the two heavy vehicles which can lead to accidents due to misjudgment. This is one of the prime reasons behind fatal accidents on the highway. If the HSP personnel patrol the stretch and take action against erring heavy vehicle drivers, they will all fall in line and follow traffic rules, thereby reducing the number of accidents. The truck drivers follow rules when they are in Gujarat as the cops there are vigilant," Doctor said.

Truckers seen occupying all three lanes of the highway

"The Parsi community has played a role in the nation's progress and has asked for nothing in return. What we are asking is the basic right under Article 21 of our Indian Constitution," he added. According to Doctor, in many cases, road accident victims have died because no immediate medical help was provided on the highway. "This is a very serious concern. We are paying toll tax to avail the facilities but no immediate medical help is given to road accident victims who ultimately die at the spot. I have been demanding an air ambulance facility so accident victims can be easily taken to big hospitals nearby."

Blinkers dysfunctional

The spokesperson of the All India Vahan Chalak Malak Mahasangha, Harbans Singh Nanade told mid-day that the two blinkers installed at the black spot where Mistry died are dysfunctional. "Here the three lanes are suddenly reduced to two, leaving the road users confused. How will drivers know that the roads are merging ahead during night time?" Nanade wondered.

Regarding dysfunctional blinkers, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Project Director Suhas Chitnis said, "The blinkers will be repaired if found dysfunctional." Nanade questioned why no steps have been taken to improve the faulty road design near the Surya River bridge. "Are we waiting for another accident at the same black spot?"

Requesting anonymity, a senior HSP Maharashtra official said, "Our teams constantly conduct patrolling on the highway and take action against traffic rule violators." When asked about the number of cases registered against the drivers cutting lanes on the killer stretch, the official did not share data. mid-day also sent a mail to the ADG (traffic, Maharashtra police) to obtain the date, but no response was received till the time of going to the press.

In the latest fatal accident, 58-year-old former corporator Shyam Pendhari died in the wee hours of Wednesday while travelling on the wrong side of the road to avoid a traffic jam caused by ongoing white topping work on the killer stretch near Naigaon. Pendhari was driving the car which collided head-on with a truck whose driver - Birendra Kumar Yadav - has been arrested by the Naigaon police. "Pendhari's blood samples have been preserved to ascertain if he was driving under the influence of alcohol," said an officer attached to Naigaon police station.

What NHAI says

NHAI General Manager Sumit Kumar said, "A number of measures have been taken up at the Surya River bridge. We have installed traffic attenuators before the bridge to absorb the impact energy of crashing vehicles and reduce the severity of the accident. Other safety measures such as blinkers, hazard markers, sign boards, transverse bar markings and cat eyes etc. will clearly demarcate the lane splitting at the location."

According to Kumar, additional safety measures have been considered during the ongoing white topping work. "These include pavement marking, including transverse bar marking/rumble strips and pedestrian crossing markings, with approximately 70-km-long metal beam crash barriers and 9 km of New Jersey type crash barriers (concrete crash barrier)." Kumar further stated that a total of 17 accident-prone/black spot locations shall be treated as per recommendations of the road safety auditor. "A minimum of 400 new street lights will be installed."

24
No of people who died in accidents in 2024 (till Feb 29)