MCCIA experts suggest setting up more areas for drivers to rest before resuming journey.
Uninterrupted driving on the Pune-Mumbai expressway can be dangerous as many accidents have taken place because the driver dozed off while driving. According to experts at the Marhatta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), lack of adequate halts on the expressway forces the driver to drive even if he is sleepy, leading to mishaps.
Continuous driving takes its toll on the vehicle too. The tyres get heated and may burst. Therefore, experts have suggested there should be more halts on the expressway where drivers can park and take rest before resuming the journey. The vehicle too can be given attention.
There are only four places on the 93-km stretch of Pune-Mumbai expressway where drivers can halt. Chairman of the rail, road and traffic management committee of the MCCIA, Chandmal Parmar, told DNA, “The driver’s dozing off while driving and tyres bursting are the most common causes of accidents on the expressway.”
Parmar said, “On the entire stretch of the expressway, we find halting points at Talegaon toll naka, food mall, Khalapur and the area near Panvel. However, the MCCIA has found that these halts are inadequate for the stretch of 93 kms of expressway. We have suggested there should be at least two halts between Talegaon and the food mall and again after the ghat section, a couple of halts should be provided for drivers to take breaks from driving.”
Apart from the halts, drivers are not allowed to stop their vehicles anywhere on the expressway. Therefore, even if they are sleepy or find their vehicle is giving problems, they have to continue driving. If any vehicle breaks down, there are no proper open spaces where these vehicles can be parked. Thus many vehicles are parked at the side of the expressway.
Parmar said, “These broken-down vehicles can cause problems to other vehicles plying on the road. We have suggested that the authorities make use of open spaces available on the side of the expressway where parking areas can be built. In case of a vehicle breaking down, it can be shifted to that parking bay and the expressway will remain open for traffic.”
“We have suggested that toilets be built along the halting area,” Parmar said, adding, “However, the authorities concerned are not taking these issues seriously.”
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