HC asks traffic dept, BMC to review Crawford Market curbs

The petitioner challenged an October 2021 traffic notification that created a no-parking zone, barred loading and unloading on both sides of the road, introduced two-way movement, and removed temporary stalls and godowns near JJ Flyover, claiming that traffic restrictions severely affected his transport business since parking or stalling of vehicles was prohibited

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has directed the Traffic Police and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to consider the grievances of a shop owner in Crawford Market whose business has been affected by traffic restrictions imposed to facilitate the redevelopment of a nearby municipal fish market and come up with an appropriate decision by December 31.

HC asks traffic dept, BMC to review Crawford Market curbs

The order was passed on Monday while hearing a petition filed by Yuvraj N. Botre, a transport services businessman with his office in the Green Stone Heritage Building on MRA Marg in Crawford Market. Botre challenged an October 2021 traffic notification that created a no-parking zone, barred loading and unloading on both sides of the road, introduced two-way movement, and removed temporary stalls and godowns near JJ Flyover. He claimed that traffic restrictions severely affected his transport business since parking or stalling of vehicles was prohibited.

The restrictions were implemented pursuant to an earlier court order in another petition seeking traffic management during the redevelopment of a nearby fish market in 2021.

Botre termed the notification “illegal and unjust”, saying it had severely hit his business operations. He sought interim permission to halt goods vehicles and park private vehicles along MRA Marg, arguing that the 2021 order altered prior arrangements without considering the affected shop owners’ interests.

Declining to stay the notification for now, a division bench of Justices G.S. Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe directed the deputy commissioner (south) of the Traffic Police and the concerned BMC officials to consider his representation and take an “appropriate decision in public interest” by December 31 this year.