Zero-Fatality Corridor project: Mumbai-Pune Expressway sees 52% reduction in deaths since 2016

The stretch had witnessed a 43 per cent reduction in road accident fatalities from 151 deaths in 2016 to 86 till 31 December 2019. In the year 2020, the expressway reported 66 fatalities in 63 crashes, an official statement issued in Pune said.

As per data provided by the Zero-Fatality Corridor project — a joint initiative of MSRDC, Maharashtra Highway Police, Mahindra & Mahindra and SaveLIFE Foundation to reduce road crash deaths on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway — the number of fatalities on MPEW has seen an overall reduction of 52 per cent since the project began in 2016.

The stretch had witnessed a 43 per cent reduction in road accident fatalities from 151 deaths in 2016 to 86 till 31 December, 2019. In the year 2020, the expressway reported 66 fatalities in 63 crashes, an official statement issued in Pune said.

Though the figure demonstrates a 56 per cent reduction in fatalities from the baseline of 2016, the project has taken the Covid-19 related impact into account and is reporting a 52 per cent reduction instead, by taking the statistical averages from the first and last quarters of 2020, when there was a relative normalcy in traffic movement and related enforcement on the expressway.

– Stay updated with the latest Pune news. Follow Express Pune on Twitter here and on Facebook here. You can also join our Express Pune Telegram channel here.

In Q1 and Q4 of 2020, the expressway suffered a total of 36 fatalities. Statistically extrapolating this to the entire year gives a figure of 72, which has been used to report the relatively conservative impact.

Dr Chandrakant Pulkundwar, Joint Managing Director, MSRDC said, “Every fatality on the expressway is a matter of grave concern for us. Though Covid made things tougher with excessive burdens on emergency services, we will not rest till we get to zero preventable deaths on this crucial link between Mumbai and Pune”. MSRDC has played a very crucial role in implementing the engineering review suggestions. So far, 3000 engineering-related suggestions have been implemented by the MSRDC, he said.

The project, conceptualised and managed by SaveLIFE Foundation, is supported by auto-major Mahindra & Mahindra through its CSR funds. M&M is also supporting the project through employee volunteers with the aid of driver research.

Piyush Tewari, Founder and CEO of SaveLIFE Foundation, said the model is now being replicated on multiple expressways and highways across the country and will contribute to saving lives nationally.

Source: Read Full Article