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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Mumbai-Pune Expressway clogged over 24 hrs

Pune : The country’s oldest and first access-controlled Mumbai-Pune Expressway came to a grinding halt after a chemical tanker turned turtle on Tuesday evening – with thousands of vehicles stuck in traffic jams for over 24 hours – and the effects spilling over to the Old Highway No. 48 soon afterwards.   The vehicular snarl - described by locals as the worst-ever in the 26-year-old history of the critical thoroughfare linking the country’s commercial and cultural capitals – took the...

Mumbai-Pune Expressway clogged over 24 hrs

Pune : The country’s oldest and first access-controlled Mumbai-Pune Expressway came to a grinding halt after a chemical tanker turned turtle on Tuesday evening – with thousands of vehicles stuck in traffic jams for over 24 hours – and the effects spilling over to the Old Highway No. 48 soon afterwards.   The vehicular snarl - described by locals as the worst-ever in the 26-year-old history of the critical thoroughfare linking the country’s commercial and cultural capitals – took the travellers and the authorities by complete surprise leading to delayed response measures.   According to officials, the speeding tanker, carrying a highly inflammable and hazardous Propylene Gas, skidded and overturned in the tricky ghat sections near Ardoshi Tunnel yesterday evening around 5 pm, and blocked the Pune-Mumbai arm completely.   Police teams rushed to the accident spot, cordoned off the accident site, blocked the Pune-Mumbai 3-lanes and attempted to salvage the tanker.   Later, as a precautionary measure even the vehicles plying on Mumbai-Pune arm was closed and it started the ‘grandmother of all traffic jams’, stranding thousands of regular commuters, tourists, and special cases.   As the traffic didn’t budge for hours, angry motorists spewed their ire on social media drawing the attention of the Highway Police, and other local police departments from Raigad and Pune, plus teams of the SDRF and NDRF were deployed to avert any untoward incidents.   On Wednesday, local television reports showed clips of the traffic tie-ups that extended more than 45-50 kms kms in both directions, many travellers had spilled onto the roads, enraged and exhausted due to the heat, many frantically searching for elusive food and water making it harrowing for the kids or the elderly people.   Commuters’ travails on expressway Among the thousands trapped in the logjam of vehicles were a cancer patient from Latur who had to rush for medical treatment to Mumbai, many people rushing to catch international or domestic flights from either Mumbai or Pune.   There was at least one wedding party with the groom stuck in Mumbai and the bride stranded in Pune, plus many businessmen, tourists in luxury private buses, ST buses, senior citizens and kids in private cars or cabs and large commercial goods vehicles.   The curvy ghat section was the worst-hit where scores of vehicles had stopped and were parked awkwardly, leaving little space for manoeuvres and eyewitnesses said that many people were forced to relieve themselves on the roadside or in the bushes.   Several of the hungry and tired passengers, who spent the night sleeping in their vehicle seats, rued how their mobile batteries had died down, making it impossible to connect with anxious family members, and complained of total lack of information updates from the highway or police authorities.   As per latest reports by 7 pm, the police estimated that the overturned tanker would be shifted out before midnight after which normal plying of vehicles was expected.

Multiple deaths expose Anandnagar MIDCs’ poor roads

Ambernath: The Vaibhav Hotel junction in the Anandnagar MIDC area of Ambernath East has increasingly turned into a dangerous traffic spot, with several accidents reported over the past year and repeated complaints from citizens about poor and incomplete traffic planning. While accidents have occurred at multiple locations across the region, official data shows that a total of 29 accidents have been reported in Ambernath, Badlapur, and Ulhasnagar areas, raising serious concerns about overall traffic safety and administrative negligence.


The Anandnagar MIDC junction near Vaibhav Hotel sees heavy daily traffic, including MIDC workers, school and college students, ambulances, and heavy vehicles. Despite this, the junction still lacks basic safety infrastructure such as zebra crossings, stop lines, and proper dividers. Although a traffic signal has been installed, local residents say it has proved to be an incomplete and ineffective measure in the absence of essential road markings and pedestrian facilities.


Due to the lack of clear road markings and pedestrian crossings, both motorists and pedestrians are often confused about where to stop and where to cross, leading to frequent traffic chaos and a higher risk of accidents. Locals claim that several serious accidents, including fatal ones, have occurred in and around this area, but the authorities have failed to take decisive and comprehensive action.


According to information received from the Assistant Commissioner of Police’s office, a total of 29 accidents have been reported across the region 4 in Ambernath East, 12 in Ambernath West, 3 in Badlapur East, 2 in Badlapur West, and 8 in the Ulhasnagar Camp No. 5 area. This data, citizens say, highlights the wider problem of inadequate and unscientific traffic planning in the region.


Apart from the Vaibhav Hotel junction, locations such as the Ambernath East–West flyover, the road in front of ITI, Matka Chowk, Jambul Road, and Forest Naka are also increasingly being identified as accident-prone due to poor planning, insufficient signage, and incomplete work.


In several places, roads have been dug up for signal-related work and temporarily covered only with metal plates, with the work remaining incomplete for days. This has created obstacles for motorists and further increased the risk of accidents.


While Speaking to The Perfect Voice, Suyog Pawar, President of Siddharth Multi-Purpose Social Organisation, said, “There are serious shortcomings in traffic management in the Anandnagar MIDC and Vaibhav Hotel area. Instead of limiting measures only to installing a signal, essential facilities like zebra crossings, stop lines, and dividers must be completed immediately. This will certainly help reduce accidents and improve public safety.”


Meanwhile, attempts to contact Ambernath Municipal Council Chief Officer Umakant Gaikwad and City Engineer Rajesh Tadvi for their response were unsuccessful, as both officials did not answer calls.


Citizens are now asking a direct question If innocent lives are being lost due to faulty and incomplete traffic planning, who is responsible the municipal administration or the traffic department? Residents say that instead of taking temporary steps after accidents occur, the authorities must implement proper and scientific traffic planning to prevent further loss of life.

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