As vehicular traffic surges on major highways connecting Pune to key destinations like Mumbai and Bengaluru, commuters voice growing concerns over safety. With speeding and lane cutting emerging as primary causes of accidents, attention turns to the need for enhanced vigilance and traffic management strategies.
Traffic Surge: Maharashtra witnesses a significant uptick in traffic volume along routes such as the Pune-Mumbai expressway and the Pune-Bengaluru highway during the fiscal year 2023–24. Data provided by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) underscores this trend, with total vehicle traffic on the expressway reaching 4,76,65,078 in 2023–24, up from 4,50,54,371 in the preceding fiscal year.
Concerns for Safety: Despite assurances of a decline in accidents, frequent commuters remain apprehensive about the safety implications of escalating traffic. This underscores the urgent need for robust law enforcement and traffic control measures to address the challenges posed by burgeoning vehicular movement.
Call for Action: In response to these apprehensions, authorities have outlined plans to implement an intelligent traffic management system (ITMS) on highways. While the ITMS aims to address issues like lane splitting and speeding, campaigners stress the importance of tangible enforcement measures by authorities to deter traffic violations effectively.
Proactive Measures: Commuters emphasize the proactive role of police and transportation department authorities in alleviating traffic congestion and ensuring safer travel experiences on busy roadways. Enhanced law enforcement and real-time monitoring are deemed essential to curbing reckless driving behaviors and enhancing road safety.
Addressing Noise Pollution: Beyond safety concerns, escalating traffic congestion also contributes to noise pollution along highways. In a bid to address this issue, Mumbai police introduced a unique solution in 2020 involving the installation of decibel meters on traffic light poles. If noise levels surpassing 85 decibels are detected, the lights reset to red, prolonging the waiting time and encouraging noise reduction.
