India’s first Tactical Urbanism trial put to test at Karla Phata on Old Mumbai Pune Highway

Pune : Policenama online    –  In order to reduce the number of fatal accidents at the intersections on Old-Mumbai Pune Highway, SaveLIFE Foundation with Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation and SKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd (SAVWIPL) have launched Tactical Urbanism trials at Karla Phata to test a safer redesigned version of the intersection.

Tactical Urbanism (TU) trials are temporary, quick and relatively low-cost interventions, which test out urban design, transportation planning and infrastructural changes for improving road safety for all road users, especially the most vulnerable, like pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised transport users.

As part of the Vision Zero Project with MSRDC and SAVWIPL, Save LIFE Foundation is currently testing temporary design interventions to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users. The intersection had discontinuous footpaths in poor condition, no waiting space for pedestrians and since the junction on the Highway is used by the villagers, there was high exposure to conflict.

While commenting on the need for the trials, Dr Chandrakant Pulkundwar, Joint Managing Director, MSRDC said, “Karla Phata has a heavy pedestrian footfall with over 250 pedestrians using the intersection during the peak hour. Through these trials, at Karla Phata, we aim to test a methodology to treat high-risk intersections on National Highways and use pre-emptive measures to reduce conflict and therefore any risk to human life. We also aim to use this methodology on other intersections on the Old Mumbai -Pune Highway”

The project, conceptualised and managed by SaveLIFE Foundation, is supported by auto major SAVWIPL under its CSR program.

Commenting on the impact of the project, Mr Gurpratap Boparai, Managing Director, SKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd, said, “We firmly believe that road safety needs to go hand in hand with development. In partnership with SaveLIFE Foundation and through initiatives like Vision Zero Project, we have been making efforts to minimise fatalities that occur on the busy Mumbai Pune stretch. The first TU trial in India on a National Highway is aimed at making the intersection safe for all in an inclusive manner. We are confident that steps taken after the trials will improve road safety and reduce fatality.”

Commenting on this, Mr. Piyush Tewari, CEO, SaveLIFE Foundation said, “Through these interventions we have managed to reduce the pedestrian exposure distance and pedestrian exposure time by about 35%. The end goal of these trials is to help road owning agencies determine the best design solutions to save lives of vulnerable commuters on black-spots and other accident-prone sites.”

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), SKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd and SaveLIFE Foundation had launched the Vision Zero Initiative in 2018 – A Country Wide Road Safety Initiative. The cumulative effort of the team has already resulted in 54% reduction in fatalities on NH48 since the time of the launch. The partnership aims to create a scalable and replicable model for road safety across Indian highways. This is in line with India’s commitment to reduce road crash deaths by 50 percent under the Brasilia Declaration.

About Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Ltd. (MSRDC)

MSRDC is a corporation established and fully owned by the Government of Maharashtra. MSRDC strives to deliver exceptional, strategic and integrated infrastructure services to the State of Maharashtra. MSRDC constructed India’s first Expressway, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway (MPEW) which redefined the values of traffic and commuter needs and put MSRDC on India’s map of transport infra companies. The Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL), has become Mumbai’s new landmark and adds a feather in the cap of India’s infrastructural growth story. Record time construction of 55 flyover projects in the city of Greater Mumbai, NSGM connecting Mumbai and Nagpur through inner parts of Marathwada and Vidarbha are other projects which gives credentials to the MSRDC.

Visit us at www.msrdc.org

About Skoda Volkswagen

Headquartered in Pune, ©KODA AUTO Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL) is the new company that represents the passenger vehicle brands of Volkswagen Group in India. SAVWIPL has been formed following the merger of Volkswagen India Private Limited (VWIPL), ©KODA AUTO India Private Limited (SAIPL), and Volkswagen Group Sales India Private Limited (NSC). The combined entity oversees the Indian operations of five brands – ©KODA AUTO, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini. SAVWIPL operates two manufacturing facilities – at Chakan, Pune and Shendra, Aurangabad. SAVWIPL is committed to India and will continue to serve Indian customers with an array of desirable, high-quality automobiles that reflect the needs of the Indian customer and their aspirations.

About SaveLIFE Foundation

SaveLIFE Foundation saves lives on roads in India and beyond by improving road safety and access to emergency medical care (UN SDGs 3.6 and 11.2). We fix roads: through crash investigations and smart engineering design, we make streets and highways safer for everyone. We strengthen emergency trauma services: with support from ambulance operators, police forces, and emergency medical teams, we train first responders in life-saving skills and bridge gaps between road crashes and the delivery of urgent trauma care. We design impactful policies: working in partnership with government agencies, industry, and grassroots organisations, we create and advocate for regulations that eliminate unsafe driving behaviors and enforce traffic laws to protect all road users. The results: we have reduced road crash deaths on India’s dangerous Mumbai-Pune Expressway by 43%. We secured India’s first Good Samaritan Law to protect bystanders when helping road crash victims. Our technology helps ambulances reach Delhi’s residents as fast as possible during the COVID-19 crisis. Our ambition is to save 1 million lives by 2027.

Web Title : India’s first Tactical Urbanism trial put to test at Karla Phata on Old Mumbai Pune Highway

PCMC | Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to told recruitment drive to fill vacant posts

Ajit Pawar warns legislators over Omicron virus in state assembly

Pune | Five buffaloes electrocuted in Velhe taluka; no loss of human life

Pune Municipal Corporation strikes a pot gold, to get Rs 10,060 crore revenue

Pune Trains | Extension of Weekly Specials between Pune and Jabalpur