Nagpur - Nashik Samruddhi Expressway: Nearly 1k vehicles denied entry between Apr 1-Jun 30 due to worn out tyres

In the 601km stretch of Samrudhi Expressway, the Transport department teams have barred nearly 1,000 vehicles between April 1 and June 30 for plying with worn out tyres.

Mumbai: Transport Authority said they have stopped nearly 1,000 vehicles between April 1 and June 30 from accessing the Samruddhi Expressway as those vehicles were plying with worn out tyres. The 601 kilometre stretch from Nagpur to Nashik of the expressway is where 25 persons were charred to death after their bus overturned and went up in flames when the driver lost control of the vehicle.

The data shared in respect of the intervention by the Transport Authority showed teams from eight Regional Transport Offices(RTOs) as having counselled 21,053 motorists while prohibiting entry to 973 vehicles for worn out tyres on Samruddhi Expressway since April 1 this year, PTI reported.

"The teams were from Amravati, Aurangabad, Washim, Buldhana, Jalna, Shrirampur and Nashik RTOs. A total of 234 motorists were caught for speeding, including 77 through a computerised mechanism installed on the route, which has a design speed of 150 kmph and limit of 120 kmph," a Maharashtra Road Safety Cell official said.

According to Bharat Kalaskar, deputy commissioner (road safety), the action taken include using RTO interceptor vehicles as well as the computerised system. All vehicles will be checked for worn out tyres at entry points while action for violations were initiated at the exits. "Speed detection is done by computers and so these vehicles are automatically blocked and stopped on toll plazas. Some vehicles were detected by interceptor vehicles and then stopped at toll plazas by inspectors," Kalaskar said.

While the data suggested that speeding as the major cause of accidents on the express way, the RTO teams were found focusing more on other violations like no parking and lane cutting. It showed that 3,169 motorists faced action for 'no parking' violations, 2,204 for 'lane cutting' and 1,043 for not having reflective tapes that make the vehicle visible to other motorists at night. (with PTI inputs)