Police ask Mumbai civic body to repair two bridges ahead of monsoon
BMC officials said they have received letters from the traffic police and are looking into the matter
The Mumbai traffic police has recently written to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), asking it to repair two bridges — one near Sion and another on Saki-Vihar Road — which has been contributing to major traffic jams, before monsoon sets in.
These two points have been identified as key reasons of commuters being stuck in heavy traffic jams. According to officers, a subway, connecting Sion railway station and Dharavi, was closed by the BMC more than two months ago as it was dangerous.
However, vehicles were allowed on the bridge over it.
“If the subway is dangerous for pedestrians, shouldn’t it be equally dangerous for overhead vehicular traffic,” said a traffic police officer. After pointing this out to the BMC, officers had conducted an audit in April and banned heavy vehicles on the bridge. “On Tuesday, we have written to the BMC to shut down the bridge completely if it is dangerous for travel and complete repairs and make it operational before monsoon or open it for pedestrians if it is not dangerous,” said Shahaji Umap, deputy commissioner of police (traffic).
According to officers, after the subway was shut, the pedestrians had moved on to the overhead road, creating huge jams that have extended till Chunabhatti during peak hours. “If the bridge is not repaired, the monsoon will worsen the traffic in central Mumbai,” said a senior traffic officer.
Another letter by the traffic police to the BMC has been about the closure of the bridge on Khairani Road located at Saki-Vihar Road, which connects Andheri-Saki Naka and Jogeshwari to Kurla and Ghatkopar.
Traffic officers said that on March 23, the bridge built on a 20-feet-wide drain was decommissioned by the bridges department as it was dangerous.
“The BMC has not even begun repair work on the bridge, owing to which there are huge traffic jams as drivers have to take a detour through Ghatkopar to reach Asalfa village and Bhatwadi,” said Umap.
Officials said people travelling to the airport and Asalfa Metro station have to spend more than 20 minutes owing to a detour. The traffic police have written to the BMC to repair the bridge before monsoon as Andheri and Kurla are low-lying areas and waterlogging will create traffic jams slowing down traffic considerably.
When contacted, BMC officials said they have received letters from the traffic police and are looking into the matter.