Transport Minister questions speed limit of Mumbai-Nagpur expressway

Cars may not be equipped for 150 km/hour, says Raote

Mumbai: State Transport Minister Diwakar Raote has questioned the proposed speed limit on the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway. The expressway, also called Samruddhi Mahamarg, is a key infrastructure project of the government and has a proposed speed limit of 150 km/hour.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Road Safety Fortnight Mr. Raote said, “We know that people drive at speeds of 100-120 km/hour on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, where the speed limit is 80 km/hour. At what speed will people drive on Samruddhi Mahamarg? Are our cars and tyres equipped for this speed?” He added that this comes at a time when the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was a death trap for motorists, with fatal accidents occurring frequently.

“No matter how advanced the road safety system is, in the end there is a human driving a vehicle and errors can occur,” he said.

Principal Secretary for Transport Manoj Saunik said there is a need for people to learn road rules. “Any organised activity has rules. Driving comes with its own rules.

However, there is a lack of seriousness when it comes to learning to drive or adhering to driving rules,” Mr. Saunik said.

The minister, in his speech, highlighted the fact that while traffic accidents were decreasing, a lot of work still needed to be done, especially in the case of accidents involving motorbikes and scooters, and in reducing fatalities.

“70% of accidents involve two-wheelers; the number in rural areas is larger. Moreover, the fatalities in such cases are also very high. This needs to be addressed swiftly,” Mr Raote said. He said the amount spent by the State in cases of road accidents is much higher than the cost of a helmet.

Referring to his own accident in January, the minister said his seatbelt saved him. “I am standing here today because I followed the rules. My driver as well as the driver of the car that collided with our car were wearing their seat belts. If we all follow basic safety rules like wearing a seat belt and a helmet, fatalities will drastically reduce.”

The closing ceremony was organised by the Western India Automobile Association. Several non-government organisations, police personnel and State Transport drivers were felicitated for their work on road safety and traffic awareness.