MMRDA to appoint traffic expert to ease BKC jams

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is finally addressing traffic congestion at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), the business district that houses top corporates, five-star hotels, hospitals and a diamond bourse

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is finally addressing traffic congestion at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), the business district that houses top corporates, five-star hotels, hospitals and a diamond bourse.

Mumbai, India - Dec. 11, 2023:General view of Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), in Mumbai, India, on Monday, December 11, 2023. (Photo by Raju Shinde/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Over the weekend, MMRDA authorities, led by commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee, inspected seven traffic junctions and locations in BKC that are perennially plagued by traffic jams thanks to ongoing works on the metro rail and high-speed rail station. The inspection will be followed by the appointment of a traffic consultant to chalk out ways to ease the vehicular congestion.

According to MMRDA officials, some of the traffic-choked locations include the BKC connector landing, Bharat Diamond Bourse, the Mumbai Cricket Association, the Convention Centre, MTNL, the Indian Oil Petrol Pump, and the Godrej BKC tower. “We visited several junctions to get first-hand knowledge about the traffic flow during peak hours and to assess the effectiveness of traffic lanes on road carriageways, footpaths and cycle tracks,” said an MMRDA official. “BKC has been experiencing significant traffic congestion, and we need to step in and look for remedies. We will appoint a traffic expert to study the traffic movement and propose solutions. The findings from the expert’s study will be used to suggest various measures to address traffic congestion.”

Parking provisions at Jio Garden, along with roadside parking bays, footpaths and cycle tracks in BKC were also reviewed, apart from the bus parking arrangements near Dhirubhai Ambani International School, the American School of Bombay, and the pick-up and drop parking at Sofitel and Trident hotels. As per figures shared by MMRDA, the daily footfall of office goers ranges between 2 and 2.5 lakh, while the business district gets nearly 2 lakh visitors every day.

The multiple connectors from the western and eastern suburbs built to smoothly reach BKC have not eased traffic chaos, one of the primary reasons for this being unruly auto rickshaws. BEST authorities said they used to operate 11 routes to connect BKC around five years ago, which has now grown to 13. More than 74,000 passengers use BEST buses to BKC daily.

On November 28, BEST added 10 air-conditioned double decker e-buses on route number 310 between Bandra-BKC-Kurla. However, due to issues of road alignment, BEST terminates these e-buses before the railway stations at both Bandra and Kurla.

On December 11, the BEST Undertaking introduced 10 AC double decker e-buses on routes connecting Kurla and Andheri (E). Route number 332 connecting Kurla Depot and Andheri (E) and route number 415 on Agarkar Chowk in Andheri (E)-Seepz have begun operations. Sources said that these e-buses were not available after 12 noon until evening, as they were sent to Kurla for charging.