Atal Setu: 700% rise in trucks, buses using bridge; cars increase by only 31%

Heavy vehicles such as trucks, which use the bridge, shot up by over 700% between January and August, but the corresponding rise in private cars was only 31%

Mumbai: The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri–Nhava Sheva Atal Setu has seen a steady rise in traffic since it was inaugurated in January. Heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses which use the bridge shot up by over 700% between January and August, but the corresponding rise in private cars was only 31%, shows the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) response to a right to information (RTI) application filed by south Mumbai resident Jeetendra Ghadge.

The total number of vehicles using India’s longest sea bridge rose from 5.20 lakh in January to over 7.25 lakh in August. (ANI)

The total number of vehicles using India’s longest sea bridge rose from 5.20 lakh in January to over 7.25 lakh in August. A fall in traffic was observed only in the months of April and July, when the number of vehicles reduced by 43,932 and 18,797 month-on-month, respectively. The total traffic on the bridge, however, is significantly less than MMRDA’s projection of 11.79 lakh vehicles every month, or 39,300 vehicles daily. The bridge is designed for a daily vehicular capacity of 70,000.

“The statistics reveal a significant uptick in traffic from heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses. But they constitute only around 7% of the traffic, with approximately 93% being passenger cars,” Ghadge told HT. The number of cars that used the bridge increased by just 31% between January and August, he said.

Ghadge said many private cars were avoiding use of the bridge due to the steep toll rate and inadequate connectivity with major roads such as the Mumbai–Pune Expressway.

“Middle class commuters from Navi Mumbai to south Mumbai find the toll of ₹250 per car unaffordable, prompting them to seek alternative routes. The bridge only seems to be helping affluent drivers,” said Ghadge.