top of page

By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 8:56:24 pm

Raj snarls at Mumbai traffic chaos

Mumbai: Coming down heavily on Mumbai’s traffic woes, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray said India may boast of a 7.8 pc GDP growth, but what use is a booming economy if citizens struggle to even walk safely on the roads, here on Monday. In scathing inaugural address of the MNS Vahatuk Sena conference in Navi Mumbai, Raj took in a bird’ eye-view and took potshots at the city, state and Centre on urban traffic problems, vanishing footpaths, incessant number of vehicles...

Raj snarls at Mumbai traffic chaos

Mumbai: Coming down heavily on Mumbai’s traffic woes, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray said India may boast of a 7.8 pc GDP growth, but what use is a booming economy if citizens struggle to even walk safely on the roads, here on Monday. In scathing inaugural address of the MNS Vahatuk Sena conference in Navi Mumbai, Raj took in a bird’ eye-view and took potshots at the city, state and Centre on urban traffic problems, vanishing footpaths, incessant number of vehicles spilling onto the already clogged roads, lack of civic or traffic disciplines and unplanned development activities in cities. “Norms stipulate that road should account for 15pc of a city’s total area. But, for example, in Pune, roads comprise barely 7pc of the landscape,” Raj pointed out, slamming the local and state governments for doling out FSI indiscriminately and permitting buildings to mushroom without matching infrastructure. “We have development plans that cater to builders’ interests, but there is no town planning… This is why we are suffering… Should be lick the GDP growth?” he asked sarcastically. Raj claimed that we are busy building bridges and flyovers in the name of development but without adequately assessing the actual requirements, roads are built to last only two years after which they need repairs, natural lakes are being filled up and replaced with skyscrapers, damaging the cityscape, and leading to water shortages. Dwelling on traffic discipline and the government’s apparent inability to enforce it, the MNS chief point out how trucks and tempos routinely ply on the extreme right (fast) lane flouting rules mandating them to be on the left (slow) lanes, how vehicles are randomly parked at street corners obstructing traffic and posing accident hazards, and how intrepid two-wheeler riders believe “that traffic signals are meant for four-wheelers alone”. “When there are traffic signals everywhere, there are also traffic cops… What is the need for this? Why can’t we learn from developed countries where everybody scrupulously adheres to road discipline... I have instructed all my drivers including the police escort vehicles to stick to traffic discipline, come what may,” Raj declared. He shuddered at the mere thought that if Mumbai’s local train networks ever collapsed – there have been many instances in the past – lakhs of commuters would be forced to take out their own vehicles and the city could be completely paralysed. “I have already written to the CM, Deputy CMs and the BMC authorities on the need to curb illegal parking on roads/pavements, demarcate parking zones with red-blue or yellow-black stripes, and make the people aware of it. But nothing has been done on this,” he rued. “Citizens fail to follow traffic rules, the government fails to enforce them, new vehicles are coming onto the roads daily but when there are traffic jams, fingers are pointed at the traffic police,” said Raj. Give me power Ending on a stark political track, Thackeray said creating an orderly civic structure was hardly “rocket science”. “I am eagerly waiting to see the day when the people of Maharashtra will hand over the reins of power to me. I will bring in true order to the state. Enforcing discipline is not a rocket science, it just requires political will,” Raj concluded in a dare.

Bad Roads, Ugly Politics

Suyash Padate
Nov 1, 2024
2 min read

The pathetic state of roads in Mumbai city as well as its suburbs has made daily commute a dangerous affair. The residents are miffed with the BMC over its lackadaisical attitude. Mumbaikars tweet photos, post videos to grab attention, but everything is in vain. Who cares for the common people. Backbreaking journeys have become part and parcel of life. Political leaders are busy mud-slinging.


This year the monsoon took a break after almost four and half months. During this time some of the roads virtually became non commutable. It may be recalled that the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde first announced to make Mumbai roads pothole free.


Its almost two years now the BMC has concretised only 9 percent of roads it planned to concretise. This decision was taken when it came to light that due to the properties of bitumen in asphalt roads, potholes are a regular occurrence due to contact with water during monsoons.


Hence, to solve the problem of potholes, the corporation has adopted a policy of cement concreting of 6-meter-wide roads in phases. The decision was taken but the dilly-dallying affair made things more difficult.


Mumbai’s traffic does put a lot of strain on roads which is not the case in the other developed countries. Second most important aspect is concretisation of roads is done partly and in phases.


The worst problem which is faced is repeated digging for cables and drainage, which weakens the roads. Above all corruption in BMC makes matters worse as a result everything comes to grinding halt.


According to experts, repairing potholes is a reaction with symptomatic treatment. By and large we are dispensing superficial treatment without addressing the root cause. The long-term solution will be to have roads with no potholes but what we need is the means and technology to achieve this. But for this political will is necessary which we lack on every step.


Mumbaikar’s are convience that corruption in the municipal corporation is the main reason. Contractors have had a monopoly over the last 20 years and this is the reason why reputed companies never come ahead for these projects.


As a result, in the name of attendance and repair, the BMC does shoddy work. Crores are spent but the end result is nothing. The BMC is not paying attention to the crust. If the crust is weak, potholes will see an increase. Without any thought or technical know-how, potholes are filled with cold mix.


This is the reason why the city and suburbs continue to have craters on the roads.


Craters, a serious threat to the safety and security of people. Mumbaikars fade up from their repeated visits to orthopedic surgeons.


They are in a mood to teach a proper lesson to those who were at the helm of the affairs.

Comments

bottom of page