Advertisement
What really powers the cloud? Behind every Google search, A...
A lot of what defines a home isn’t visible at handover. I...
Private equity has played a significant role in shaping Indi...
Luxury real estate is one of the most talked-about segments ...
Airports play a much bigger role than just enabling travel -...
Maharashtra’s State Road Safety Council has not met for more than three years despite the state recording tens of thousands of road accidents and fatalities during the period. The statutory body, mandated to meet every six months, last convened in April 2023. Responsible for reviewing accident trends and coordinating safety measures across departments, the council’s prolonged inactivity has raised concerns over road safety governance and oversight in a state that continues to report one of the highest accident and fatality burdens in India.
Maharashtra’s State Road Safety Council has remained inactive for more than three years despite continuing road accident fatalities across the state, raising questions about compliance with statutory requirements and the functioning of the state’s road safety oversight mechanism. Officials said the council, which is chaired by the transport minister and is required to meet every six months under Rule 215 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, last convened on April 4, 2023.
The issue came to light after officials disclosed that no meeting of the council had been held since then, even as Maharashtra continued to record a substantial number of road accidents and deaths. Between January 2023 and April 2025, the state reported 83,820 road accidents and 36,567 fatalities, according to official data. The figures place Maharashtra among the states reporting the highest number of road accident deaths in the country.
The State Road Safety Council was constituted by the Maharashtra government in May 2015 to review accident trends, coordinate safety initiatives and monitor implementation of measures aimed at reducing road fatalities and injuries. The body brings together representatives from multiple departments, including transport, public works, police, health and urban development, to formulate and assess road safety strategies.
Officials noted that biannual meetings were held regularly until 2019. However, the frequency declined thereafter, with only a limited number of meetings taking place before the last session in April 2023. As per the prescribed schedule, the council should have met substantially more often during this period.
The prolonged inactivity has attracted attention because the council serves as the principal state-level forum for reviewing accident statistics, identifying high-risk corridors, evaluating enforcement measures and coordinating safety interventions across agencies. Road safety experts have long highlighted the need for continuous monitoring and inter-departmental coordination in a state that records thousands of fatalities annually on highways, urban roads and regional transport corridors.
The matter also assumes significance amid ongoing investments in transport infrastructure, including highways, expressways, metro networks and urban mobility projects across Maharashtra. Such projects are typically accompanied by safety planning, traffic management measures and accident mitigation strategies that require coordination between multiple government departments and implementing agencies.
Recent transport department data has shown some reduction in road fatalities during the early months of 2026. However, the overall number of accidents and deaths remains substantial, underlining the continued importance of institutional oversight and regular review mechanisms.
Officials indicated that the council remains an important component of Maharashtra’s road safety framework, with its mandate covering policy review, accident prevention initiatives and coordination among agencies responsible for transport and public safety.
Source: PTI
Advertisement
Facebook
Whatsapp
