PUNE, 15 NOV. Following the tragic incident at Navale Bridge, where a collision involving three vehicles resulted in a fire and the death of eight people, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and MP Murli Dhar Mohol has instructed the administration to implement various measures to prevent such accidents. He emphasized that the responsibility of various agencies has been fixed. Mohol directed the administration to resolve traffic issues, enforce speed limits, and clear land acquisition hurdles for the service road work, submitting a report on all measures within a month.
Eight Lives Lost in the Tragedy
Eight people were killed and 9 to 10 were injured in the accident that occurred on Thursday evening near the Navale Bridge area. Following the tragedy, Murli Dhar Mohol visited the Navale Bridge stretch on the Mumbai-Bengaluru bypass. On Saturday, Mohol convened a meeting with officials from various agencies at the government guesthouse. Attendees included Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, Police Commissioner Amitabh Kumar, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) Commissioner Dr. Yogesh Mhase, Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill, along with officials from the State Highway Authority and the Regional Transport Office (RTO).
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mohol stated that long-term and immediate measures would be implemented following the Navale accident.
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Elevated Road and Ring Road: The draft for constructing an elevated road between Narhe and Ravet has been approved. Mohol announced he would meet Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to pursue the physical start of this work. Additionally, the alignment for the Ring Road from Jambhulwadi to Warje has been finalized, which can be used to divert traffic. Efforts will be made to initiate this work as well.
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Enforcement and Safety: Currently, three speed guns are used to act against overspeeding vehicles between Dari Bridge and Vadgaon Budruk, and the number of speed guns will be increased. Given the steep slope between Swaminarayan Temple and Navale Bridge, where rumbling strips are installed, further instructions were given to implement measures to reduce speed on the steep incline. The speed limit for heavy vehicles has been reduced from 60 kmph to 30 kmph. Orders have been issued to take immediate on-the-spot action against drivers violating traffic rules.
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Accountability and Review: Mohol stressed that the responsibility of various government agencies has been determined to prevent accidents in the Navale Bridge area. He stated, "The report on the work done by various agencies should be submitted within a month. A meeting has been scheduled in December to review the progress."
Vehicle Inspection and Illegal Stops
Mohol stated that trucks and container drivers will be inspected at the Khed Shivapur toll plaza on the bypass route. Heavy vehicles carrying excess load will be unloaded on the spot, and technical and brake inspections will be conducted on all heavy vehicles. While e-challans are issued for traffic violations, orders have been given to take on-the-spot action against heavy vehicles violating traffic rules in the Dari Bridge to Vadgaon Budruk area.
He directed officials that the service road work on the bypass is stalled due to land acquisition issues. Since a plot of land in the Pashan area belongs to the Defence Department, efforts will be made to acquire this land for the service road. Mohol noted that PMT buses and private transporters have stops on the service road which are illegal. He ordered that stops should be constructed keeping public safety in mind. He added that around 350 PMT buses use the bypass route daily and ordered action against encroachments on the service road.
A 'Death Trap': 115 Fatalities in 5 Years
The chain of fatal accidents in the Navale Bridge area on the Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway shows no sign of stopping. Shocking data from the traffic police reveals that 257 accidents were registered in this area over the last five years, of which 95 were severe. A staggering 115 people have died in the Navale Bridge area in the past five years, with 94 citizens also being injured during the same period. This grim reality highlights that, on average, a person dies in an accident in the Navale Bridge area every two to three days.
The data shows that between 2021 and 2025, the number of fatal accidents has continuously increased: 21 accidents and 28 deaths in 2021, and 25 accidents and 27 deaths in 2022.
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