Motormen’s strike, potholes, breakdowns disrupt traffic flow to Thane

Office-goers were hassled on Friday morning, as disruption of train services led to five-hour-long traffic snarls on Ghodbunder Road in Thane. The traffic police blamed the mess on motormen’s strike, filling of potholes, breakdown of three vehicles during peak hours, repairs on Mumbra bypass road and barricading for Metro-4.

With train services delayed, most took to the roads leaving Ghodbunder Road, Kalwa bridge and internal roads jammed from 8am. The congestion was eased after 12.30pm, when most office-goers left the city.

The traffic began piling up along the Kalwa Bridge since morning. “I take a train to Thane as my office is near the station. After hearing about the protest, I decided to take the road. The Kalwa bridge and Thane-Belapur Road near Kalwa were jammed. No autorickshaw was willing to go. I had to walk for more than 6km-7km to reach office. I had already missed work owing to the Maratha protest and didn’t want a repeat,” said PG Sonawne, 34, a resident of Kalwa.

Deepak Menon, 32, another resident of Ghodbunder Road, said, “I left home at 8.30am to reach my office in BKC. It took me more than two hours to reach.”

Amit Kale, deputy commissioner of police, traffic, said, “Pothole-filling work was one of the prime reasons for the trouble. We have given directives to all authorities to fill potholes only between 12am and 6am. Despite this, most contractors started the work in the morning. We have issued them a warning to carry out the work at night, failing which they will be booked under the Motor Vehicles Act.”