68 people died in accidents on Pune’s Ahmednagar Road in last nine months

On Sunday, October 6, a woman, 32, riding pillion on a bike, was crushed to death by a speeding dumper on Ahmednagar Road even as her husband who was riding the bike, suffered serious injuries

In the last nine months from January to September 2024, 68 persons (63 men and five women) have lost their lives on Pune-Nagar Road which has become a death trap due to speeding dumpers and other heavy vehicles.

strict action is being taken against dumpers and heavy vehicles found running during banned hours, says police. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

On Sunday, October 6, a woman, 32, riding pillion on a bike, was crushed to death by a speeding dumper on Ahmednagar Road even as her husband who was riding the bike, suffered serious injuries. Prior to that on September 24, an engineer, 23, similarly lost his life on the same road. According to the Pune traffic police, more than a 100 people die in accidents on Nagar Road every year. This year, 68 persons have died in over 150 accidents on this road in the past nine months from January to September as per the Pune traffic police records. So much so that locals and commuters are now wary of crossing Nagar Road.

Swati Gandhi, a local resident, said, “We are now very much afraid to ride on Nagar Road and there is constant fear of speeding heavy vehicles. Many a time, our children are with us due to which we are even more worried.”

The section of Ahmednagar Road from Viman Nagar Chowk to Khandve Nagar falls under the Airport police station whereas the section from Khandve Nagar to Perne Phata falls under the Lonikand police station. This year, 11 persons lost their lives in 79 accidents that took place within the limits of Airport police station whereas 54 men and nine women lost their lives in accidents that occurred within the limits of Lonikand police station. In the accident that took place on October 6, the dumper was plying (speeding) on Nagar Road despite the ban on heavy vehicles between 7 am and 11 am and 5 pm and 9 pm.

Amol Zende, deputy commissioner of police, said, “We have now increased the number of traffic policemen monitoring traffic during peak hours. Also, strict action is being taken against dumpers and heavy vehicles found running during banned hours.”