16 January,2013 11:47 AM IST | | Saurabh Katkurwar
However, even though the MSRDC and Mumbai Entry Point Limited (MEPL) have posted a few banners at Vashi Toll Naka that feature news articles regarding toll tax, there are no other signs of any road safety awareness measures taken by MSRDC. On the other hand, the Navi Mumbai traffic police and RTO have raised a lot of hoardings along the highway.
A banner on safe driving put up by PWD at Kalamboli-Kharghar highwayu00a0
Meanwhile, the PWD, which has undertaken project of widening and concretisation of the Sion-Panvel highway, has erected some hoardings at Kharghar, Kalamboli. However, there are no hoardings at important areas like Vashi, Nerul and Belapur. When this was pointed out, the PWD maintained that there were enough hoardings along the highway.
There is no railing along the Belapur flyover
"We have raised hoardings about road safety at all important points along the Sion- Panvel highway," said Rajendra Jawanjal, Superintending Engineer of PWD. "There might be less hoardings in areas like Vashi due to lack of space. We have taken care to ensure that hoardings about road safety awareness are erected where motorists can easily spot them."
Apart from the lack of hoardings, the Sion-Panvel highway has been dug-up at some points and the contractors have removed railings at two points near the Belapur pass. This has increased the risk of vehicles falling off the road in a pit of around 15 metres.
The first location where the railing has been removed is towards Mumbai side, immediately after the end of the Belapur flyover, while the other point is towards Pune, after the end of Belapur pass. When asked, PWD claimed ignorance regarding the issue. "The contractors responsible for widening and concretisation of the Sion-Panvel highway must have removed the railings for the road-widening work. However, I will find out if it is posing a risk to the vehicles," Jawanjal said. u00a0
