24 March,2026 11:49 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
During the crackdown, over 1.65 lakh riders were caught without helmets (Pic/Ashish Raje)
Maharashtra's road safety drive shows results as fatal accidents and deaths dropped 8 per cent in Jan-Feb 2026; Mumbai recorded a 24 per cent fall in accident deaths year-on-year. State data shows 194 fewer fatal accidents and 214 fewer deaths than the same period in 2025, pointing to tighter enforcement and tech-led monitoring.
Maharashtra's Additional Transport Commissioner Bharat Kalaskar emphasised, "With a 50 per cent reduction target by 2030, the Transport Department has gone aggressive - rolling out district-wise action plans and fixing black spots"
"With a 50 per cent reduction target by 2030, the Transport Department has gone aggressive - rolling out district-wise action plans, fixing black spots and deploying 332 enforcement squads armed with radar guns and interceptor vehicles," Maharashtra's Additional Transport Commissioner Bharat Kalaskar said.
Giving out data, he added, "The crackdown is visible on the ground: over 1.65 lakh riders were caught without helmets, 22,017 pillion riders without helmets, and 14,658 cases of overspeeding were booked. Seatbelt violations, invalid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates, and uninsured vehicles also featured heavily.
AI and radar systems are being scaled up, while 53 government and 13 private automated testing stations - and 38 automated driving test tracks - are set to come up in 2026. A massive Intelligent Traffic Management System is also being rolled out across 25,000 km of roads. Already in action on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, it has cut accidents by 19 per cent in a year," Kalaskar explained. Faster emergency response, stricter checks, new school bus norms, and a "Save Two-Wheeler Riders and Pedestrians" campaign are part of the push.
