Industrialist Dr Sudhir Mehta, chairman of EKA Mobility and Pinnacle Industries, took a helicopter to reach Pune after being stranded for nearly eight hours in a massive traffic jam on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.Mehta shared aerial visuals of the long queue of vehicles on social media platform X, calling attention to what he described as a systemic failure in managing highway emergencies. The traffic disruption, which lasted over 18 hours for many commuters, was triggered by a gas tanker accident.“Lacs of people are stuck on the Mumbai-Pune expressway for the last 18 hours for one gas tanker,” Mehta posted, urging authorities to create emergency exits at multiple points so vehicles could be safely turned back during such incidents.He also proposed mandatory helipads along the expressway, arguing they could aid emergency evacuation. “Helipads cost less than Rs 10 lakh and require less than an acre of open land. These should be compulsory at key locations,” he added.Mehta thanked aviation expert and Air Force veteran Nitin Welde for assisting in arranging the helicopter. However, his suggestion drew mixed reactions online, with several users questioning the practicality of helipads for large-scale evacuations and calling instead for greater accountability from civic and highway authorities.The traffic jam was caused after a gas tanker carrying propylene overturned near the Adoshi Tunnel in the Khandala Ghat section around 5 pm on Tuesday, leading to a continuous gas leak. As a safety measure, police shut traffic towards Mumbai and diverted vehicles, but normal movement could not be restored for hours.The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, India’s first six-lane, access-controlled concrete highway, spans 94.5 km and connects Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Raigad with Pune.Lacs of people are stuck on the #Mumbai #Pune expressway for the last 18 hours for “one gas tanker “ . For such emergencies we need to plan exits at different points on expressway which can be opened to allow vehicles to return. Helipads cost less than Rs 10 lacs to make and… pic.twitter.com/u2EooiKjh3— Dr. Sudhir Mehta (@sudhirmehtapune) February 4, 2026