Accidents on Mum-Pune Expressway declined this year: Patil

There has been a decline in number of accidents on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway this year compared to last year, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil said today.
However, the numbers of accident casualties during the period has increased, the minister informed the Legislative Council.
He was replying to a query by Congress MLC Sanjay Dutt on safety on Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
Patil conceded that the expressway is of international standards, but safety measures are not up to the international standard.
The government has taken several steps in order to improve safety measures, Patil said.
As several members wanted to ask questions, House chairman Shivajirao Deshmukh said the issue was a serious one and there would be an hour-long debate on it tomorrow.

Yesterday, Public Undertakings Minister Jaidutt Kshirsagar had said in the Legislative Assembly that a road safety audit of the 95 km-stretch will be conducted every year in view of the spate of accidents.