Bhiwandi lacks infrastructure to accommodate lakhs of vehicles on daily basis

With more than 35,000 heavy vehicles and more than a lakh of other vehicles commuting through Bhiwandi daily, the road and transport infrastructure in the city is insufficient to take this load.

With more than 35,000 heavy vehicles and more than a lakh of other vehicles commuting through Bhiwandi daily, the road and transport infrastructure in the city is insufficient to take this load. The result is pothole-riddled, accident prone roads and hours of traffic jams.

Heavy traffic on Mumbai-Nashik Highway that passes through Bhiwandi. The infrastructure in Bhiwandi is not encouraging to take the load of lakhs of vehicles on a daily basis. (PRAFUL GANGURDE/HT PHOTO)

There are around two lakh godowns and many power loom factories in Bhiwandi. These warehouses are functional for neighbouring cities of Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai. Many vehicles head from JNPT towards Ahmedabad or other parts of Gujarat as well.

Apart from the arterial roads and the Mumbai-Nashik Highway that passes through Bhiwandi city, the route between Mankoli to Anjurphata and Thane to Kasheli are the most affected roads. Moreover, the ongoing Metro work on the Thane-Kasheli route is such that diversions are also not possible and often heavy vehicles get stuck on this stretch causing traffic jams.

Experts claim that the city requires better infrastructure in terms of roads and transport facilities as it is one of the major links to Northern Maharashtra and metro cities.

Pankaj Joshi, principal director, Urban Center, Mumbai, said, “In the last decade, Mumbai Metropolitan Region has developed into an industries and logistics hub. It is creating its own job opportunities and Bhiwandi is one among them. Along with infrastructure development, there is an urgent need to improve the connectivity within Bhiwandi. Keeping in mind its rise, there is a requirement for public transport facilities. A hop-on-hop-off bus service connecting the industrial areas with the neighbouring cities will ease private vehicles on the road.”

The traffic department has implemented various measures like strictly not allowing heavy vehicles or vehicles from outside the city to enter inside during the day or during peak hours and are focussing on traffic regulation.

Currently, the traffic police are halting heavy vehicles outside Vasai Naka or near Gaimukh and restricting entry into the city precincts. Balasaheb Patil, DCP (Traffic), said, “We are currently managing the situation by stopping entry to outside vehicles and heavy vehicles during peak hours. Moreover, we have asked all officers to focus on traffic regulation and avoid taking action against vehicles during the peak hours. We have a lot of manpower involved in stopping heavy vehicles’ entry into the city. This has helped manage the traffic situation considerably. We have also coordinated with local authorities and soon after rains subside, the roads will be repaired.”

Darshan Thakker, a 49-year-old resident of Thane, said, “I am a businessman and have to visit the power looms quite often for work. Since the last few years, the potholes and bad roads have become a common phenomenon during monsoons in Bhiwandi. The traders and residents have often written and complained to the local authorities but all have fallen on deaf ears. It is a struggle to spend six hours almost on a regular basis only for commuting.”