📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Amitbalani
Automobile
128 People Killed on Maharashtra’s Samruddhi Expressway in First Eight Months of 2024
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 28 Sep 2026, 06:36 AM
👁 13
The Times of India reports that 128 fatalities have occurred on the Samruddhi e‑way in Maharashtra during the first eight months of 2024.
The Samruddhi e‑way, a 701‑kilometre controlled‑access highway linking Mumbai and Nagpur, has recorded 128 deaths between January and August 2024, according to data cited by The Times of India. The toll‑free corridor, inaugurated in 2022, is intended to boost trade and reduce travel time across Maharashtra, but the rising casualty count has raised concerns among road‑safety experts.
State transport officials have not released a detailed breakdown of the incidents, but preliminary reports suggest a mix of high‑speed collisions, vehicle overturns and pedestrian accidents. The frequency of fatalities underscores the need for stricter enforcement of speed limits, better signage and increased monitoring through CCTV and speed‑camera systems.
The Maharashtra government has previously pledged to improve emergency response along the highway, including the installation of more ambulance stations and rapid‑response teams. In light of the latest figures, authorities are expected to review existing safety protocols and consider additional measures such as mandatory helmet use for two‑wheelers and stricter penalties for traffic violations.
Road‑user groups have called for a comprehensive audit of the highway’s design features, including lane width, median barriers and lighting, arguing that infrastructure gaps may be contributing to the high death toll. The issue is likely to feature in upcoming state transport committee meetings.
While the Samruddhi e‑way remains a key artery for commerce and tourism, the 128 deaths reported so far highlight a pressing public‑safety challenge that demands coordinated action from policymakers, law‑enforcement agencies and the travelling public.
State transport officials have not released a detailed breakdown of the incidents, but preliminary reports suggest a mix of high‑speed collisions, vehicle overturns and pedestrian accidents. The frequency of fatalities underscores the need for stricter enforcement of speed limits, better signage and increased monitoring through CCTV and speed‑camera systems.
The Maharashtra government has previously pledged to improve emergency response along the highway, including the installation of more ambulance stations and rapid‑response teams. In light of the latest figures, authorities are expected to review existing safety protocols and consider additional measures such as mandatory helmet use for two‑wheelers and stricter penalties for traffic violations.
Road‑user groups have called for a comprehensive audit of the highway’s design features, including lane width, median barriers and lighting, arguing that infrastructure gaps may be contributing to the high death toll. The issue is likely to feature in upcoming state transport committee meetings.
While the Samruddhi e‑way remains a key artery for commerce and tourism, the 128 deaths reported so far highlight a pressing public‑safety challenge that demands coordinated action from policymakers, law‑enforcement agencies and the travelling public.