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Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) president and MLA Prof Varsha Gaikwad hit out at the Maharashtra government on Tuesday for not taking concrete measures to reduce road accidents in Mumbai.
At the Legislative Assembly session in Nagpur, Gaikwad said 1,895 road accidents occurred in Mumbai in 2022, leading to 371 deaths.
“Yet, no urgency is seen from the government. We have traffic regulations, but they are not being implemented. Looking at these figures, what measures will the government take to prevent road accidents in the city?” Gaikwad asked.
Rising accidents on Mumbai roads is a serious concern. In the Vidhan Sabha today, demanded stricter enforcement of road safety rules and regulations. There is an urgent need to identify accident black spots and adopt rectification measures to reduce the number of accidents. Also… pic.twitter.com/niGB2XVB8Y
— Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad (@VarshaEGaikwad) December 12, 2023
Gaikwad said bad road conditions and lack of management in rule implementation are the primary causes of accidents. “Roads are narrow in many places due to which diversions are created. Drivers often don’t realise this, leading to many accidents. Most accidents happen in specific accident-prone areas. But the government is not taking it seriously.”
“There is a need for more stringent rules and impose strict fines and penalties for violation of traffic rules,” Gaikwad said.
“But to enable that, the number of traffic police and Regional Transport Office (RTO) employees is less. Many posts in RTO and traffic police still lie vacant. When will the government fill these vacant posts?” she asked.
Responding to the question, Nashik guardian minister Dada Bhuse said a provision had been made for auto testing of cars.
“Funds have been allocated from district planning and development councils (DPDC) to identify and repair the blind spots where frequent accidents happen. We shall look into how accidents can be reduced. Strict action will be taken against the violators for not following rules of lane discipline, exceeding speed limits, and vehicle strength,” said Bhuse.