Transport unions demand urgent safety meeting with NHAI officials

Earlier last month, a joint inspection of the highway stretch was done by the NHAI, PMC and Pune traffic police

PUNE In a bid to make the ‘deadly stretch’ between new Katraj tunnel and Navale bridge safer, a new Detailed Project Report (DPR) plan is been made by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) along with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Whereas, Maharashtra Transport Vehicle Owners and Drivers Association has demanded for an urgent meeting to be called with the Pune district collector and NHAI to give inputs about infrastructure improvements to be made on this deadly highway.

In a bid to make the ‘deadly stretch’ between new Katraj tunnel and Navale bridge safer, a new Detailed Project Report (DPR) plan is been made by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) (HT FILE PHOTO)

Earlier last month, a joint inspection of the highway stretch was done by the NHAI, PMC and Pune traffic police department officials and two underpasses were proposed near the Navale bridge to increase the height of the road and the service roads going towards Vadgaon Budruk from Navale bridge were to be widened.

“Most of the accidents which are happening are of the heavy vehicles, and along with the drivers’ fault there are several other infrastructural issues which needs to be considered. And as the end-user of the highway drivers and members of the transport association, we have important inputs for NHAI. From our experience we have jotted down points and have demanded for an urgent meeting to be called of the safety committee by the Pune district collector and NHAI officials,” said Baba Shinde, state president of the association.

In the past, NHAI along with PMC and Pune traffic police took multiple measures such as installing rumblers, bringing down speed limit and a starting police check post near this stretch. This has led to a reduction in minor and major mishaps but still the threat and fear of accidents is there among the local public.

A senior official from NHAI on anonymity said, “We are working over the DPR plan from Pune to Satara stretch highway and in next 15 days we will be submitting our detailed plan to our head office for further process. But after the inspection done of the highway between new Katraj tunnel to Navale bridge, there is a need to increase the height of the highway and two underpasses will be made at two different spots. Also the service roads need to be widden looking at the large number of residential societies come around the highway.”

This is a vulnerable spot where regularly accidents take place as heavy vehicles over speed from new Katraj tunnel, after which there is a slope on the highway and the vehicle speed increases. From there onwards most of the drivers, to save the fuel close down the engine or take vehicle into neutral gear. Apparently, when they come near Navale bridge where there is an exit to service road these vehicles get out of control leading to accidents, said members of the association.