Archive · 28 Jan 2026
Air Ambulance Plan Dropped for Pune-Mumbai Expressway
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has decided not to start an air ambulance service on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway.
They said it's not possible because the area has hilly terrain, no good places for helicopters to land, and bad weather like fog and rain.
The service would also cost a lot of money.
Instead, they will make the emergency care centers on the road better.
There have been fewer accidents on the expressway in the last two years because of new safety systems.
So, they think the air ambulance is not needed right now.
MSRDC scrapped the air ambulance service proposal for the Pune-Mumbai Expressway due to geographical and financial constraints.
The expressway's hilly terrain, lack of landing zones, and weather conditions make helicopter operations impractical.
The estimated operational cost of the air ambulance service was nearly Rs 5 lakh per hour.
MSRDC will focus on strengthening emergency response through upgraded trauma care centers along the expressway.
Accidents on the expressway have declined over the past two years due to improved safety measures like ITMS and AI-based CCTV surveillance.
- Who
- Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC)
- What
- Scrapped the air ambulance service proposal for the Pune-Mumbai Expressway
- When
- Decision made after exploration since 2016
- Where
- Pune-Mumbai Expressway, Maharashtra, India
- Why
- Geographical challenges, lack of suitable landing zones, high operational costs, and weather conditions
- Project
- Air Ambulance Service
- Status
- Scrapped
- Reason
- Geographical and Financial Constraints
- Operational Cost
- Rs 5 lakh per hour
- Accidents in 2024
- 66 accidents, 82 fatalities
- Accidents in 2025
- 54 accidents, 61 fatalities
- Safety Measures
- Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) and AI-based CCTV surveillance