Breath analysers to be used for random checking of heavy vehicle drivers on Samruddhi Expressway: Dada Bhuse

The Samruddhi Expressway would deploy breath analyzers for random driver checks of heavy and public transport vehicles, Maharashtra minister Dada Bhuse said on Thursday in the state assembly.

During a debate in the legislative assembly on the rising number of accidents on the expressway, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said 110 people have died in accidents since the Samruddhi Expressway was opened for the public (in December last year).

Replying to the debate, Bhuse, the minister of public works (public undertakings), said breath analysers will be used for random checking of drivers of heavy and public transport vehicles on the expressway. The speed limit for light vehicles is 120 km per hour and for heavy vehicles is 80 km per hour, he said. There will be strict surveillance to check lane-cutting, he said, adding that hoardings and boards will be put up to create awareness about the traffic rules.

Samruddhi Mahamarg, named Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, is a 701-km-long expressway connecting Mumbai and Nagpur.