Mumbai : The Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) has urged Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to take immediate safety measures on the Dahisar–Talasari stretch of National Highway 48, calling it a “death trap” for motorists.
The appeal comes in the wake of continued accidents, most notably the 2022 tragedy that claimed the life of Cyrus Mistry, former chairman of Tata Sons, and his friend Jehangir Pundole. The crash, which occurred near the Maharashtra-Gujarat border, also left Anahita and Darius Pundole critically injured.
Dr. Boorjis Doctor, who has been campaigning for safer highways since Mistry’s death, stressed that poor road design and irregular lane transitions were to blame, not reckless driving. “Indian Road Congress norms are not followed during construction, and enforcement agencies fail to act,” he said.
In its letter signed by all seven trustees, the BPP warned that the NH-48 stretch between Dahisar and Talasari has become hazardous due to inconsistent construction and faulty white-topping work. “Parsis, especially senior citizens traveling to Iranshah in Udvada, face grave risks on this highway,” said BPP chairman Viraf Mehta.
The trust emphasized that the Parsi community, long contributors to nation-building, is not seeking special treatment but only its basic right to safe roads. “We lost a great industrialist in Cyrus Mistry. We don’t want more lives lost due to negligence,” Mehta added.
Supporting the concern, Bal Malkit Singh, advisor and former president of the All India Motor Transport Congress, highlighted that worsening road conditions and prolonged construction delays have made transporters reluctant to ply the busy Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway. “What used to take three days for cargo trips now takes five,” he said, pointing to massive potholes, jams, and lack of accountability.
The BPP’s plea calls for urgent intervention to prevent further loss of lives and ensure a safe passage on one of India’s busiest highways.
