Government to increase traffic fines on accident-prone Mumbai-Pune expressway

In a bid to curb the rising number of accidents on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, the State Government is mulling over raising the traffic penalties for lane-cutting and overspeeding on the expressway and looking at implementing an ‘intelligent surveillance system’ to aid in booking offenders.

During yesterday’s Legislative Council meeting, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation minister Eknath Shinde addressed MLC Anil Bhosale’s concern over the rising number of accidents on the expressway.

Shinde said that the government is looking at increasing the penalty for flouting traffic norms on the expressway and working on a system wherein regular offenders are penalized cancelling their license and impounding their vehicle.

To enforce the penalties, the government may rope in the expressway contractors and allow them to collect fines on behalf of the government.

Bhonsle had also claimed that the expressway lacks a tree cover on a particular stretch, which causes the sunlight to directly fall on the car’s windshield while driving. In response, Shinde said that a survey will be conducted to find such a stretch and if found, the contractor will be asked to address it immediately.

The Mumbai-Pune expressway has witnessed around 14,500 accidents since it’s construction in 2002, making it one of the most accident-prone highways in the country.