Vadodara, Feb 10 (IANS): In a crackdown against illegal ferrying of passengers, the traffic branch of Vadodara City Police detained 59 private vehicles for endangering lives and violating provisions of the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act, an official said on Monday.
The Assistant Police Commissioner's office said the operation, conducted over the past 24 hours as part of National Road Safety Month - 2025, targeted vehicles that were illegally ferrying passengers in a bid to make a quick buck.
The drivers of the prosecuted private vehicle were offering unauthorised transport services from Vadodara to Ahmedabad and Bharuch, said the official.
Gujarat, on an average, reports 43 accidents and 21 deaths per day, according to official data. Reckless driving, poor road infrastructure, and non-compliance with traffic rules continue to contribute to the rising toll of road accidents in the state.
Under the drive in Vadodara, traffic police deputed teams at key hotspots such as Amit Nagar Circle, Dumad Bridge, and Golden Bridge and detained 53 vehicles, including Eco and Ertiga models, along with six others.
In addition to seizing the vehicles, the authorities have also registered a case against one driver under the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act.
In 2018, Gujarat recorded 18,769 accidents, resulting in 7,996 deaths. The number declined marginally in 2019, with 17,046 accidents and 7,390 fatalities. A further drop was observed in 2020, likely due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, with 13,398 accidents and 6,170 deaths. However, the figures rose again in 2021, with 15,186 accidents and 7,452 fatalities, followed by an increase in 2022, where 15,751 accidents led to 7,618 deaths.
One of the major causes of fatalities in road accidents across the state is over-speeding, which accounted for 7,236 deaths in 2022, shows official data.
Additionally, hit-and-run incidents have been alarmingly high, with 2,209 cases leading to 1,429 deaths in the same year.
Fatal accidents in the state have continued despite efforts by the authorities to curb such incidents through awareness campaigns and stricter traffic enforcement.