Mumbai-Pune Expressway turns into a death trap

The Mumbai-Pune Expressway is marred by fatal accidents due to
over-speeding, lane indiscipline, design faults, rash driving and drunk driving. Between May-July 2011, 74 accidents on the expressway have been reported, of which 21 resulted in deaths. DNA finds out how this grave problem can be resolved.

Vehicles find it difficult to manoeuvre on the steep slope near Amrutanjan Bridge
Compared to NH4 Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the Baroda-Ahmedabad NH1 Expressway is not accident-prone. The stretch near Amrutanjan Bridge must be widened and two additional lanes should be constructed. Also, there are no road safety markers on the whole stretch of the expressway. Heavy vehicles, especially in the night, don’t follow lane discipline and cars have to dangerously make their way through these heavy vehicles.
Over 90% of accidents happen between the stretch of Lonavla entry point and Khalapur toll naka. Vehicles find it very difficult to manoeuvre on the steep slope near Amrutanjan Bridge. Overall, there is no attempt by the concerned authorities to control vehicle speeds. Nobody is maintaining the expressway as per the requirement with IRB Infrastructure Developers and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) putting the responsibility on one another.  

According to the data received from highway police, between April-July 2011, 74 accidents have been reported on the expressway out of which 18 were fatal, 31 serious and 48 minor accidents, resulting in 21 deaths, 51 serious injuries and 47 minor injuries.  
— Chandmal Parmar, social activist

The speed limit should not exceed 80 km on expressway, but very few follow the norm  
We try our best to maintain the international standards of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. My observation is that 90% of the road accidents take place due to over-speeding and mistake of drivers. With our patrolling unit, we are trying to keep such incidents under control, but our authority is limited. It is the responsibility of regional transport office (RTO) and highway police to ensure road safety. The speed limit should not exceed 80 km on the expressway, but very few follow the norm. We have widened the highway route in the ghat section from four-lane to six-lane, which has resulted in better traffic movement.
VR Naik, chief engineer, MSRDC, Pune Division

We suggest converting the total stretch of expressway into an eight-lane road
We are following the expressway issues through our Railway, Road Traffic Management Committee and have submitted letters in this regard to the concerned government departments.

The design change that we proposed between Lonavla exit and Amrutanjan point has been accepted.

This stretch of road has some serious issues, which need to be attended quickly. In fact, we have suggested converting the total stretch of Mumbai-Pune Expressway into an eight-lane road from the present six-lane. The Lonavla Ghat section, which is incomplete and is common for both expressway and Mumbai-Pune highway users, needs to be separated.    

Drivers don’t follow lane discipline on the expressway. There is no mechanism in place to make road users aware of road discipline nor is any strict action taken against those who break the road safety rules. I feel since the toll is collected by the IRB, it should provide the required supportive infrastructure, whereas government authorities must be responsible to implement the laws. 
— Anant Sardeshmukh, executive director general, MCCIA

At night, heavy vehicles should be diverted to old Pune-Mumbai Highway to avoid accidents
I enjoy driving on the Pune- Mumbai Expressway due to the good condition of the roads. I frequently travel by the same route. But some spots on the expressway, like driving below the Amrutanjan Bridge, are dangerous for vehicles.

There is a very steep slope on either side of the bridge, which makes driving difficult. Also, right under the bridge, the lane is divided for heavy and light vehicles due to the turning at the bridge. But novice drivers fail to see the diversion and I have seen many vehicles crashing into the dividers.

At night the heavy vehicles coming from Mumbai to Pune find it difficult to drive due to the steep upward slope, which often causes traffic jams. Even though it is an expressway, the vehicles can been seen moving at a snail’s pace. I feel that these heavy vehicles should be diverted to the old Pune-Mumbai Highway during night-time to avoid traffic jams and fatal accidents.
— Ravi Nadkarni, businessman

Since it’s road safety week, we are distributing pamphlets to drivers
Driving on the expressway is a wonderful experience but below the Amrutanjan Bridge, there is a steep upward and downward slope, which makes it difficult for drivers to control the vehicles. Also, the sharp turn under the bridge makes driving all the more a challenge. Our suggestion is that the slope on both sides of the bridge should be decreased and the turning should be made a little straighter from 120 degrees to 90 degrees so that drivers can have a better control on their driving. However, it is the duty of MSRDC and IRB to change the design. From our side, we conduct special drives against over-speeding and lane cutting. Since the road safety week is going on, we are distributing pamphlets to the drivers in order to make them aware
of the dangers of rash driving on the expressway.
— Dilip Bhujbal, Superintendent of Police (Highway)