In a heartbreaking incident on Sunday morning, a minibus collision with a stationary container truck on Samruddhi Mahamarg in Aurangabad claimed 12 lives . The accident has raised significant concerns about road safety and transportation practices in the region.
Transport expert Jitendra Gupta has pointed fingers at transport officials, emphasizing the need for advanced technology to enforce traffic rules and reduce bribery opportunities. He also expressed concerns about the presence of RTO personnel on the road potentially leading to extortion, advocating for proper training on high-speed expressways.
Transport expert Mohammed Afzal has raised questions about the role of inspectors in ensuring proper parking, indicating that improper positioning of the container truck may have contributed to the accident.
Similarly another transport expert Vidyadhar Date has highlighted government policies, high passenger capacity, and a culture of speed as potential factors in such accidents. Corruption within the RTO was also noted as a significant issue.
The tragic incident involved a minibus colliding with a container truck allegedly due to the sudden stop directed by RTO personnel. Eyewitnesses claimed that the RTO vehicle had been chasing the container, leading to the collision. A case has been registered against the truck driver and two RTO officials.
The accident left several passengers on the left side of the minibus with severe injuries. Among the victims were 12 individuals, including a five-year-old girl, who were returning from a religious visit to the Sailani Baba Dargah in Buldhana.
This unfortunate event is part of a larger pattern, with a total of 729 accidents occurring on Samruddhi Mahamarg between December 2022 and August 2023, resulting in 46 fatalities and 101 lives lost. It underscores the urgent need for improved road safety measures and more effective law enforcement.
In response to these concerns, the state transport department has initiated an inquiry into the accident and engaged an NGO to identify the root causes of the increasing number of accidents on Samruddhi Mahamarg, as well as to suggest possible solutions. Road safety and effective enforcement of traffic rules are paramount in preventing such tragic incidents in the future.
