Heavy vehicles parked illegally on Samruddhi Mahamarg at night spark safety concerns

Halting vehicles on the Samruddhi Mahamarg is strictly prohibited, but parked trucks are a common sight at night near the Amane toll plaza. A Mumbai-based motorist, Hitendra Pachkale, who travelled from Mumbai to Igatpuri via the expressway on Sunday night, captured photographs of illegally parked heavy vehicles and urged authorities to take strict action against their owners to prevent potential accidents. Pachkale told mid-day, “After crossing the main toll plaza at Amane, I noticed several heavy vehicles parked in double lanes on both sides of the expressway. 

This is extremely dangerous, as speeding vehicles could crash into these parked trucks, leading to fatal accidents.” It is believed that truck drivers choose to park at the spot in question to rest while undertaking long journeys. Another motorist, Pushpak Dhanavde, who frequently uses the Samruddhi Mahamarg, said, “I believe trucks and heavy vehicles are being parked after the Amane toll plaza so that drivers can rest before continuing their long-distance journeys. However, this could be happening due to the absence of a proper truck terminus. I hope the highway traffic police and MSRDC [Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation] take serious note of the matter and provide a designated area for truck drivers to park and rest safely.”