AGRA, Feb. 9 -- Following the deaths of six people on Saturday who were standing near a private bus, and the earlier death of 19 people in a fog-related road pile-up on December 16 on the Yamuna Expressway, senior officials held a meeting late Saturday at the Mant Toll Plaza in Mathura to discuss measures to reduce accidents on the expressway. The meeting was attended by Agra division commissioner Nagendra Pratap, DIG Agra Range Shailesh Kumar Pandey, and officials of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA). The deaths have raised serious concern, as both major accidents occurred on the Yamuna Expressway within the limits of Mathura district. Nagendra Pratap, who recently took charge as commissioner of the Agra Division, raised the issue of valid permits for vehicles plying on the Yamuna Expressway and directed officials to verify permit validity, stating that vehicles without valid permits should not be allowed on the expressway. He suggested that scanners be installed at toll plazas and software developed for a vehicle permit database to ensure effective checks. He also recommended placing notices at the entry and exit points of the Yamuna Expressway detailing guidelines and helpline numbers. The tragic accident on Saturday that claimed six lives occurred after a private sleeper coach was parked on the fourth lane instead of the designated green land parking bay on the Yamuna Expressway. The bus stopped near the 88 milestone as passengers got down to relieve themselves, when a speeding truck rammed into the stationary coach at around 2.45 am, killing six people. Officials attending the meeting admitted that existing food points on the expressway do not have adequate space for heavy vehicles. It was therefore decided to create more lay-bys along the roadside for buses and trucks, which often park on side lanes and pose safety risks. The issue of stray animals roaming on the expressway was also raised, with authorities directed to deploy cattle-catching vehicles along the route. A team was asked to review the continuity of fencing along the expressway and repair damaged sections, while ensuring the installation of CCTV cameras across the entire stretch. DIG Agra Range Shailesh Kumar Pandey stressed the need for regular review of enforcement teams to curb overspeeding and overloading on the Yamuna Expressway. He pointed out frequent lapses in the fitness of sleeper coaches and double-decker buses, directing strict action against non-compliant private sleeper coaches operating long routes to Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, particularly those lacking mandatory safety features like emergency exits. The police department was also asked to join enforcement teams in the drive....