August 24, 2023: The Maharashtra government and the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) were issued a notice by the Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench on August 23, 2023, on account of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) asking for temporary halt to traffic on Samruddhi Mahamarg, mention media reports.
A division bench of Justice Atul Chandurkar and Justice Vrushali Joshi directed the Public Works Department (PWD) and MSRDC to revert to the notice within four weeks.
Filed by Anil Wadpalliwar, the PIL claimed lack of safety measures being the reason for the several accidents on the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway. The PIL pointed to loss of life due to ill-planned safety measures and absence of wayside amenities.
There has been close to 39 fatal accidents on the Samruddhi Mahamarg till now in which around 88 people have died, mentioned the PIL. It added that around 87 serious accidents resulted in close to 232 people with serious injuries. Around 215 accidents left 428 people with minor injuries and 275 accidents with no injuries.
The PIL mentioned that the PWD and MSRDC opened the Nagpur-Shirdi-Nashik stretch for traffic in the absence of safety measures. In the absence of restrooms and service areas, green parks and variable sign boards that engage drivers’ minds, the Samruddhi Mahamarg encourages inexperienced drivers to speed causing accidents, the PIL stated.
The petitioner has suggested measures such as creation of an expert panel to study the existing problems and offer solutions, placing signboards and planting greens etc.
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