The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has issued a notice to the Maharashtra government and MSRDC in response to a PIL demanding a temporary halt of traffic on the Samruddhi Expressway until adequate safety measures are implemented.
Anil Wadpalliwar, a concerned citizen, filed the PIL, asserting that insufficient safety precautions have led to numerous fatalities in accidents on the Expressway since its inauguration last December.
A division bench comprising Justice Atul Chandurkar and Justice Vrushali Joshi has instructed the Public Works Department (PWD) and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to submit their responses within four weeks.
The PIL expressed profound distress over the loss of innocent lives and the probability for accidents due to inadequate safety measures and the absence of essential roadside facilities, said petitioner’s advocates Shreerang Bhandarkar and Bhupesh Patel.
The expressway of 701 kilometers links Nagpur and Mumbai. While the stretch between Nagpur and Igatpuri taluka in Nashik district is operational, the completion of the 100-kilometer Igatpuri-Thane segment remains pending.
Bhandarkar stated quoting the PIL, “As per the statistics maintained by the state highway police to date, as many as 39 fatal accidents have occurred on the Samruddhi Mahamarg in which 88 people have died. Nearly 87 serious accidents occurred in which 232 people were left with severe injuries and 215 accidents occurred in which 428 people sustained minor injuries, while 275 accidents occurred in which motorists escaped with no injuries.”
The PIL alleges that the Nagpur-Shirdi-Nashik stretch was opened to traffic by PWD and MSRDC without adequate safety measures in place.
The PIL stated, in the absence of restrooms and service areas, green parks and variable sign boards to engage drivers’ minds, the Mahamarg ended up luring inexperienced drivers those who are tempted to drive fast and experience highway hypnosis which is a major cause of accidents.
The petitioner proposes solutions, including the establishment of an expert panel to address the existing issues, installation of informative signboards and greenery etc.
