RTO flying squads take action on 600 vehicles for over-speeding at Mumbai Coastal Road

The action was taken during an ongoing special drive that began on February 13, the officials said

The flying squads from the Regional Transport Offices (RTO) have taken action against nearly 600 vehicles for over-speeding on the newly constructed Mumbai Coastal Road, the officials said on Tuesday.

The action was taken during an ongoing special drive that began on February 13, the officials said.

A senior RTO official told the PTI that the squads, deployed along the 10-km-long coastal road between Marine Drive and Worli, issued e-challans to 596 vehicles for exceeding speed limits.

Of the total, 300 e-challans were issued by the Tardeo RTO, which oversees the entire island city of Mumbai, while the remaining 296 were handed out by the Wadala RTO, which is responsible for the eastern suburbs.

An RTO official highlighted that most over-speeding vehicles involved were high-end or luxury cars such as Mercedes, Audi, and BMW.

Under the law, over-speeding is a compoundable offence which means that the vehicle owners have to pay a Rs 2,000 compounding fee, which can also be paid online.

The action is part of a joint special drive launched by the Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Department (MMVD) and the Mumbai Traffic Police to curb the alleged illegal racing on the route  and enforce traffic rules on the newly opened Mumbai Coastal Road, as per the PTI.

As many as four squads, including two from the RTO, have been deployed at key entry and exit points to monitor rash driving, racing, and other violations, said an official.

The 10-km Mumbai Coastal Road, which stretches from Marine Drive to Worli, has been opened in phases since March 12, 2024, and has already seen over 50 lakh vehicles, with a daily average of 18,000-20,000 vehicles on the stretch, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The crackdown by the RTO in city follows a racing incident earlier this year where two drivers had their licenses suspended, and their vehicles were seized after one of the cars crashed into the tunnel's sidewall, the officials said, according to the PTI.

The incident caused a traffic jam and raised concerns about illegal racing and noise pollution, particularly from honking and loud exhausts.

(with PTI inputs)

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