Two-wheeler riders continue to enter restricted stretches of Nashik’s Mumbai-Agra highway elevated corridor, exposing themselves to high-speed truck traffic and a heightened risk of fatal crashes, police and motorists said after two recent accidents.
The danger is greatest on the section from the Indiranagar vehicular underpass towards Adgaon, where the elevated corridor has only two lanes in each direction. Police said the narrow carriageway leaves little room for motorcycles when trucks and other heavy vehicles travel alongside them.
“Bikers need to understand the risk of commuting on the flyover on the stretches where there are only two lanes on one side. Our patrolling teams keep on challaning such bikers. However, bikers continue to flout the rules,” ACP (traffic) Madhav Reddy said, according to the Times of India.
The elevated corridor has no shoulder or escape space for motorists, officials said. Vehicles also tend to move at higher speeds because drivers do not expect cross traffic on the flyover. Police officers said crashes can occur when motorists encounter a stranded vehicle or when traffic ahead brakes suddenly, leaving limited time and space to react.
The safety concerns came into focus after two incidents reported in Nashik. On Friday morning, a 31-year-old lawyer riding a moped was run over by a container truck near the Ranenagar vehicular underpass. Two-wheelers are permitted on that particular stretch, but the crash highlighted the risks created by high-speed traffic on the corridor.
A day earlier, a 20-year-old woman was injured after her two-wheeler crashed into a stationary pick-up on the flyover near Dhatrak Phata. Adgaon police registered a case in connection with the incident.
The restriction does not apply across the entire elevated corridor. Police said two-wheelers are allowed on the Indiranagar-Garware T-Point section because it has three lanes. The ban mainly covers the narrower section towards Adgaon, where warning boards have been installed at entry points.
Despite the signs and periodic challans, violations continue, officials said. Motorists have called for permanent police deployment at access points so that two-wheelers can be stopped before entering the restricted stretches. Police patrol teams are currently responsible for identifying violations and issuing challans.
