State highway police want more halting joints on Pune-Mumbai expressway

The state highway police division of Pune plans to ask the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and Ideal Road Builders (IRB) infrastructure developers to make available additional halting joints along the busy Pune-Mumbai expressway. The proposal comes as a response to the increasing number of accidents due to illegal halting on the expressway, which is a major artery connecting two of Maharashtra’s most populous cities.

According to state highway police officials, the current halting or parking spaces on the Pune-Mumbai expressway are related to only food malls, where heavy vehicles generally avoid halting, leading to haphazard parking on the shoulder of the road, posing a significant safety risk to motorists.

Halting or parking on expressway is prohibited. Even as the norms exist, heavy vehicles take illegal halts after frequent intervals to cool down the vehicle engines, which not only disrupts traffic flow bur also poses a serious risk to commuters.

According to state highway police there are only two halting spaces at the food malls.

Lata Phad, superintendent, state highway police said, “The Pune-Mumbai expressway is a crucial transportation route that witnesses heavy traffic round the clock. The lack of adequate halting spaces is not only causing safety hazards but also leading to unnecessary delays and inconvenience for the commuters. We decided to request the IRB to take immediate action and make available additional halting spaces at suitable locations along the expressway.”

The state highway police have proposed construction of multiple parking lots equipped with proper lighting, security measures, and facilities such as restrooms, food stalls, and fuel stations. The goal is to provide a safe and organised parking environment that can accommodate the high volume of vehicles passing through the expressway, reducing the risk of accidents and traffic congestion.

The proposal has garnered support from various quarters, including commuters, transport associations, and safety advocacy groups. They have echoed the need for more halting spaces on the Pune-Mumbai expressway and have urged IRB and MSRDC to prioritise this issue to ensure the safety and convenience of all road users.

DN Pawar, president of The Poona District Motor Goods Transport Association welcomed this initiative taken by state highway police. Pawar said, “Our trucks carry heavy loads and after climbing ghat section, the drivers tend to take halt to cool down the engine. At that time police penalised them. They do not want to voluntarily halt, but that is need of the vehicle otherwise they have to pay heavy maintenance.Hence it is necessary to have at least two -three halting spaces specifically for heavy vehicles.”

Traffic expert and programme director of city-based NGO Parisar, Ranjeet Gadgil said, “Yes this is definitely a good solution but this is a long or mid-term solution. It will take time to show desired results, because to identify spaces and land acquisition will take time. But as a part of short-term solution police need to strictly implement no halting rule at expressway. To generate challan is not a solution. In addition to that, people should avoid overtaking from left lane and must use a reflector while halting their vehicle on the expressway.”