Industrialist's Helicopter Escape Highlights Expressway Woes

A prolonged traffic jam on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway led Sudhir Mehta, a Pune industrialist, to use a helicopter to return to the city. Mehta's experience underscores the need for better emergency preparedness, suggesting the construction of helipads along the route for efficient evacuations.

Following an unprecedented traffic bottleneck caused by an overturned gas tanker, a Pune industrialist decided to take an unusual step to circumvent the gridlock. Stranded for eight hours on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Sudhir Mehta, chairman of Pinnacle Industries, opted for aerial transportation to return to Pune.

Mehta, expressing concern over the massive congestion, shared aerial shots that depicted the severity of the situation and stressed the urgency for robust emergency preparedness on high-traffic routes.

In a social media post, he advocated for strategically placed exit points and helipads, suggesting that they could efficiently alleviate similar predicaments in the future, emphasizing their cost-effectiveness and minimal land requirements.

(With inputs from agencies.)