Mumbai commute: Going shopping at Irla market? The one thing you can’t buy is space

Mumbai city news: Motorists share the one-lane Irla market road with pedestrians pushed off the footpaths by hawkers

The Irla market in Vile Parle is for the expert street shopper, the enthusiastic foodie and the talented driver.

All three clash in the struggle to co-exist on this one-lane road, which has for years now accommodated motorists honking at jaywalking pedestrians who have been pushed off the footpaths by hawkers. Why is this a problem? The Irla market road connects the residential hub of Juhu to the arterial SV Road in Vile Parle.

“Hawkers on footpaths are the main reason for the jams. The congestion keeps building up till SV Road towards Andheri railway station and east-west flyover leading to the Westen Express Highway,” said a traffic expert.

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Despite its importance as a connector in the western suburbs, this stretch is one of the most neglected in the region.

Parking on the roads adds to the mess. “Shoppers come to the market in their vehicles, park them haphazardly on the road and obstruct traffic,” said Trish Khan, a model who stays in Andheri (West).

Khan said she takes more than an hour to cover the distance from her house in Four Bunglows to Vile Parle (East). With little traffic police presence, the chaos multiplies.