Mumbai, Feb 4 (PTI) As many as 139 bus services of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) were cancelled after a tanker carrying a flammable gas overturned on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and led to a massive traffic congestion on the route, officials said on Wednesday.
Traffic remained crippled on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway for over 24 hours after the gas tanker overturned in the Khandala Ghat section, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded and causing massive congestion on both carriageways, officials said.
The incident occurred around 5 pm on Tuesday near the Adoshi tunnel in Raigad district. The tanker, transporting propylene gas, lost control due to the slope and overturned. Soon after the accident, gas was found leaking from the tanker, causing panic among motorists, they said.
As per the information provided by the transport department, the accident disrupted bus operations across several regions of the state. Of the total 139 cancelled services, 73 were e-Shivneri buses, while 66 were regular bus services.
Officials said a total of 163 MSRTC buses were stranded in the traffic jam on the expressway. These included 46 buses from the Satara division, 36 from Solapur, 20 from Pune, 18 from Sangli, 13 from Kolhapur, 12 from Palghar, 11 from Thane and seven from Mumbai division.
The transport department said passenger safety was being given top priority and alternative arrangements were being made after reviewing the situation.
Bus services will be restored in a phased manner once traffic movement on the expressway normalises, the department added.
An MSRTC driver, whose bus was stuck in the traffic snarl close to the Adoshi tunnel since 5 pm on Tuesday, said his vehicle finally reached Panvel at 3 am on Wednesday.
“We faced an unprecedented traffic jam on the expressway as our bus was stuck just some distance away from the accident spot for hours. Some women passengers and senior citizens faced troubles due to unavailability of toilets,” the driver said, adding that the vendors charged Rs 30 for a Rs 10 water bottle. PTI MR KK NP
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