The number of deaths and accidents on the 96-km long Pune-Mumbai Expressway registered a decline. As against 165 deaths in 2008, there were 104 deaths in 2009.
The apparent decline in the number of deaths and accidents on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway in 2009 as compared to 2008 has encouraged the Highway Police to strengthen its enforcement mechanism against rash driving.
For the first time since it was opened to traffic in 2002, the number of deaths and accidents on the 96-km long Pune-Mumbai Expressway registered a decline. As against 165 deaths in 2008, there were 104 deaths in 2009. The number of accidents too dropped significantly from 644 in 2008 to 461 the following year.
The Highway Police is attributing this positive trend to strict patrolling by its personnel, who were armed with speed guns and whose enforcement powers were restored by the state government in 2009, after a gap of two decades.
“We are examining the different factors that contributed to lesser deaths last year. But certainly, the restoration of enforcement power has played a big role in curbing the deaths and mishaps,” said Arup Patnaik, additional DGP, Highway Police.
According to Patnaik, deaths on different highways have reduced by about 1,000 and mishaps gone down by 3,000 in 2009 as compared to 2008. In 2008, Maharashtra registered 69,072 accidents on different national and state highways with 11,255 fatalities.
The speed monitoring is done by the Highway Police with the help of nine speed guns (four with Pune division and five with Thane division) and a strength of 71 personnel, including 10 officers. Positioned at different points and at different times of the day to maintain the surprise element, they also use breathalysers to check for drunk driving.
“Last year, after enforcement powers were restored, the Highway Police collected Rs1.52 crore as fine and registered over 1.35 lakh cases against drivers all over the state,” said Rajesh Bansode, state highway superintendent of police (headquarters). The powers were restored empowering the Highway Police to take action against traffic violators on the national and state highways and the expressway.
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