Busy Dombivli station near Mumbai set to be unclogged
KDMC to appoint a private consultant who will submit report after studying causes for congestion around station area
The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) will soon decongest Domivli station by removing illegal hawkers and regulating autorickshaw parking, under the Smart City project.
After Kalyan, Dombivli is the second station to be unclogged by the KDMC.
The civic body is on the verge of appointing a private consultant who will submit a detailed report after studying causes for congestion in and around Dombivli station.
“We have floated tenders and we are awaiting a response. Once the consultant is appointed, a master plan will be prepared for the development of Dombivli station,” said Tarun Juneja, project officer of KDMC.
Narrow roads, illegal parking by autos and private vehicles, and hawkers at sixes and sevens have restricted movement of commuters in and around Dombivli station. During evening peak hours, one can hardly walk on the roads.
“The only hurdle at Dombivli station is narrow roads, which may limit a SATIS (Station Area Traffic Management Scheme) plan. The main aim of the plan is to ease vehicular movement,” said Juneja.
Residents of Dombivli have been actively participating in decongesting the station area by acting against errant auto drivers since last year. However their efforts could not get substantial results owing to a space crunch.
Residents formed a group named ‘Protest Against Autowale’ to raise voice against auto drivers for causing congestion. They have regularly asked the authorities to improve the public transport.
“One of the major problems at Dombivli station is that autos blocked entry and exit points from sight. The civic body should make provisions for civic bus service from the station, parking lots and dedicated hawking zones,” said Sachin Gawali, 43, resident of Ekta nagar Dombivli and member of ‘Protest Against Autowale’.
In Dombivli (East), Manpada, Kelkar and Rajaji Path roads connect to the station, while the western part has Kopar, Dindayal , Gupte, Phule and Subhash roads.
“There is a continuous traffic jam on Manpada road from Gaodevi temple to the station. Sometimes, vehicles are stuck for an hour,” added Gawali.
Commuters moving out of Dombivli station either walk through the congested lanes or take the narrow foot overbridge (FOB). This FOB connects to Vishnunagar, Mahatma Phule and Ghanshyam Gupte roads in Dombivli (west), and KDMC headquarters, Indira Gandhi Chowk , Bhaji Prabhu chowk, and Madhuban theatre on the eastern side of the station.
“The narrow foot overbridge is congested during peak hours. If the station area is developed and the roads outside it is cleared for pedestrians, I am sure a lot of space will be freed up,” said Neha Bankar, 45, commuter who takes the FOB daily to reach Indira Gandhi chowk in Dombivli (East).
A development plan report for Station Area Traffic Management Scheme (SATIS) at Kalyan railway station is ready. “We are awaiting a clearance from the state transport department,” added Juneja.