Thane samaritan takes guard, helps pedestrians cross busy GB Road

For one and half hours during morning peak hours, Kasarvadavli resident man traffic on busy Ghodbunder Road,and helps pedestrians to cross the road

Thane: Social worker Girish Patil, a resident of Kasarvadavali and a businessman by profession, has made it his voluntary duty since 2018 to guide the traffic at Anand Nagar Circle on Ghodbunder Road after noticing the absence of traffic police during the peak hour - every morning from 7.30am to 9am. Many people go out for morning walks during this time, increasing the number of pedestrians on the road.

Considering the inefficiency, and rather absence of traffic police at Anand Nagar on Ghodbunder road, Girish Patil, a resident of Kasarvadavli, has stepped up to control the traffic every morning ,in Thane, in Mumbai, India, on, Wednesday, October ,18, 2023. ( ) (Praful Gangurde/HT PHOTO)

“It all began in 2018 when I had to walk my daughter to the New Horizon School whenever she missed her school bus. With unruly traffic, no zebra crossing and lack of police in the morning, I realized how dangerous this was. I have sent letters and deliberately followed up with Public Works Department (PWD), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and Reliance, however, no action has been taken,” said Patil.

The signal at Anand Nagar lasts for 76 seconds, and Patil claims the last 4 seconds of the signal to be the most dangerous as vehicles already start gearing up. Patil hangs two boards around his neck, one in the front with message written in Marathi and one at the back with an English message asking the commuters to stop vehicles before the faded zebra crossing.

The vehicles stop right at the centre of the crossroads because of faded zebra crossings. Patil recalls an accident where a woman riding a two-wheeler from Kasarvadavali towards Thane wished to take a right turn. However, a speeding car rammed into the two-wheeler because the vehicle did not plan on slowing down at the signal, just like several others. The woman fell almost 4-5ft away from the spot due to the intensity of the jerk, said Patil.

“The government and the traffic police are trying to repair roads and control the traffic as much as possible, but their efforts are not enough. Citizens coming forward to work towards a common solution for all the people is really appreciable,” said Sham Trivedi (75), a Bombay High Court Advocate who lives across the circle and often goes for a morning walk.

Patil suspected an unsaid agreement between the Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) buses and local auto rickshaws on one hand and the traffic police on the other, because these vehicles are not stopped for jumping the signal, and the drivers always know their way out if at all they are stopped. “I have often been threatened by the rickshaw drivers. A driver of a tour bus I stopped once threated to harm me and my family. I immediately complained to the then Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and the driver was barred from duty for next 3-4 months,” added Patil.

The two-wheelers also drive from over the footpaths to avoid signals. “There is no solid solution to the problem. A few months later, even trolleys will drive over the footpath. The situation will not change till there is political affiliation involved, regardless of who tries, lord Brahma or PM Modi,” said Mohan Wagh, suggesting a tall barricade-like-structure to the constructed to stop two wheelers from driving over the footpath.

Another resident of Kasarvadavali, Ganesh Bhojane, recalled witnessing similar efforts undertaken by a group of citizens to control traffic in Powai. “Powai too had a group of residents. Someone doing this alone is commendable. It is the lack of desire of the officials to do anything that irks me. The Mumbai traffic management model must be replicated with challans via camera, increased number of cops and more awareness,” said Bhojane, and alleged that the traffic police seem to hold something against Gujarat and Rajasthan number plates because while they are deliberately held for jumping the signals, local residents and ‘goons’ easily slip away.

An official from the PWD informed HT, assuring the residents, that the matter has been taken into urgent consideration. “We have conducted a meeting with the traffic police regarding various traffic issues, including this. Action will be taken accordingly at the earliest,” said the official.

When contacted, Vinay Rathod, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Thane police said, “Our personel are present at the Anand Nagar circle on the Ghodbunder road. It is also important to understand that in the morning, during the peak hours, our policemen are manning spots like Manpada where there is more traffic. Apart from that, two beat marshals continuously move around and provide aid wherever necessary, like if there is a lot of traffic somwhere, according to the calls they receive.Moreover, Anand Nagar is set to get a flyover. So once this flyover is built, these problems will definitely reduce.”