The sugar cane crushing season began on Oct 15
The warning comes as the 2026-27 sugar cane crushing season began on Oct 15, resulting in a sharp rise in the movement of cane-laden vehicles on national highways, state highways and major roads across Latur district. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Latur superintendent of police Amol Tambe has warned sugar factory managements of legal action if accidents involving loss of life occur due to sugar cane transport vehicles lacking reflectors and safety stickers.
If non-compliance with safety requirements results in an accident and loss of life, legal action will be initiated against the vehicle owners and the responsible sugar factory management under the applicable laws,” Tambe said. Police also said vehicles must not carry sugarcane beyond their prescribed capacity. The district police said sugar factory managements had previously received written instructions from the road safety committee and other concerned agencies to install reflectors and stickers on cane transport vehicles.
He has directed all sugar factories to ensure that trucks, tractors with trolleys and bullock carts carrying sugar cane are fitted with high-quality reflectors at the front and rear. “Sugar cane transport vehicles must be fitted with high-quality reflectors and stickers to ensure they are visible to other motorists, particularly at night. Cane-laden vehicles often move at slow speeds and can obstruct traffic, particularly on busy roads. At night, poor visibility of vehicles without reflectors increases the risk of collisions, as motorists approaching from behind may fail to judge their presence and distance in time. Tambe has directed sugar factories to ensure every vehicle operating in their respective areas has the required reflectors and stickers. Overloading can affect vehicle balance, spill cane onto roads and endanger other motorists. It can also damage roads, increasing the risk of accidents and traffic disruptions. However, the risk of accidents during the crushing season has prompted the police to emphasise strict implementation of these safety measures.