More vehicles out, cops begin random checks

As vehicular traffic on roads of the city soared on Friday after the state government allowed inter-district movement in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and

As vehicular traffic on roads of the city soared on Friday after the state government allowed inter-district movement in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and reopening of shops, the traffic police have started conducting random checks.

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“As movement in MMR region has been allowed, we have initiate random checking of vehicles from Friday onwards as e-pass is not a requirement now. The shops have been opened up and hence the traffic has increased,” said a senior traffic police official when asked about the situation on the ground.

Increase in private vehicular traffic city was witnessed on the western and express highways which connect the island city to the suburbs. Similar scenes were witnessed during the morning peak hours at the Sion-Panvel highway, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road in central Mumbai, King Circle, Kala Nagar flyover. Slow-moving traffic was also reported on the toll plazas of the city as the number of vehicles approaching Mumbai increased from neighbouring areas such as Thane, Navi Mumbai, Mira Road and Vasai.

The traffic police are expecting a further surge in traffic as local train services are yet to begin and BEST buses are running at half of their capacity. People are also taking their private vehicles out over public transport as a safety measure.