Maharashtra has ordered a coordinated road-safety drive involving the police, transport, public works and health departments, with a focus on faster emergency treatment, regular road audits, technology-based enforcement and targeted action in 11 high-risk districts.
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik issued the directions at the 13th meeting of the State Road Safety Council at Mantralaya on Tuesday. He called for closer coordination between departments to reduce road accidents and fatalities across the state.
A key part of the plan is the effective implementation of the PMRAHAT scheme, under which accident victims are eligible for cashless treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh per person for a maximum period of seven days, according to the report presented at the meeting. Sarnaik said there should be no delay in beginning treatment after a victim is admitted to hospital.
Officials were directed to establish a joint procedure for the health, police and transport departments. The process is expected to ensure that police registration, generation of a digital identification number and treatment approval are completed within the prescribed time.
The state also plans to bring 108 emergency ambulances and private ambulance services onto a common digital platform. The proposal is intended to help dispatch the nearest available ambulance to an accident site. Sarnaik suggested that ambulances be equipped with cameras and telecommunications facilities so doctors at hospitals can monitor patients and guide treatment during transit.
Officials were asked to assess manpower, medical equipment and specialist availability at trauma care centres. The minister also directed them to plan for adequate trauma-care facilities within every 50-kilometre radius. A separate policy on air ambulance services is to be explored for the Samruddhi Expressway, other expressways, coastal routes and remote areas.
Road safety audits will be prioritised at every stage of road planning, construction and maintenance. Sarnaik said the audits should identify engineering deficiencies that increase accident risks. The Public Works Department was directed to earmark 10 per cent of its funds for road safety.
Officials were also told to analyse accidents using factors including time, location, vehicle speed, road design, lighting, pedestrian movement and driver condition. Measures at identified black spots are to be completed quickly, while encroachments and unauthorised structures along highways are to be removed. The minister also called for stronger highway patrol teams.
The state will explore electronic weigh-in-motion sensors to identify overloaded vehicles and pollution check-in-motion or remote-sensing technology to detect emissions from moving vehicles. Officials were further asked to examine integration between Pollution Under Control certificates, vehicle records and the e-challan system.
Eleven Maharashtra districts have been included among 100 critical districts under the Zero Fatality District initiative, implemented with the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the SaveLIFE Foundation. The districts are Nashik Rural, Pune Rural, Ahilyanagar, Solapur Rural, Jalgaon, Satara, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Rural, Beed, Nagpur Rural, Kolhapur and Dhule. Sarnaik directed officials to prepare data-based action plans for them.
Data presented at the meeting showed that road accident deaths in Maharashtra fell by 6 per cent between January and July 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, despite an increase in the number of vehicles. The figures also showed that two-wheeler riders accounted for 60 per cent of road accident deaths in 2025, while pedestrians accounted for 22 per cent. Sarnaik directed officials to strengthen safety measures for both groups.
The meeting was attended by Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, Public Works Minister Shivendraraje Bhosale, Transport Department Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Seth, Transport Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar and senior officials from the public works, public health, transport, home and traffic departments.
