Mumbai rains: ‘People abandoned cars in desperation, waded through water’

Taking into consideration the people who suffocated inside their cars during the 2005 deluge, Mumbai police had advised people not to sit inside their vehicles and wait for the water to recede

The haphazard way in which vehicles were abandoned on the roads on Tuesday night highlights just how desperate people were, said an official, who did not wish to be identified. “People tried to drive on waterlogged roads to get to safety, but just had no space to navigate,” he added.

Water logging in Parel on Wednesday morning. (Vijayanand Gupta/HT Photo)

Taking into consideration the people who suffocated inside their cars during the 2005 deluge, the Mumbai police had advised Mumbaiites not to sit inside their vehicles and wait for the water to recede.

People got out of their cars and began travelling on foot, some even on the railway tracks. Public transport came to a grinding halt and private cab services went off the road.

High-end cars were found at Wadala Bridge, Matunga, Dadar, Sion, on the Western Express Highway near Santacruz (East) and several places in the western suburbs. Outside the Sion-Matunga police station at King Circle, a few trucks and a container broke down in the middle of the road, which led to congestion.

Near the Vakola flyover on the Western Express Highway, tempos, trucks, cars and buses were abandoned on the street, which blocked traffic heading to Kalina, Kurla and the Santacruz-Chembur link road.

On Wednesday, Mumbai traffic police helped people tow the abandoned vehicles to the side or take them to garages. This ensured that the streets were clear for those heading home that morning.

As the water had receded by morning, traffic along the Western Express Highway, Eastern Express Highway and Eastern Freeway was moving smoothly.

₹903 for 500-m ride in Uber

More than 30 lakh Mumbaiites were stranded on Tuesday owing to the downpour. With local train services stalled, many opted for private cab aggregators to reach home safely. Uber, however, charged a commuter Rs903 for 550-metre ride from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to St George Hopsital. Darshan Nakhwa, a Sanpada resident, said it took him four hours to reach and his driver got two messages asking him to end the ride near the Hospital. He ignored the first at Nakhwa’s request, but followed the second.

While an Uber representative said Nakhwa’s money had been completely refunded, he said only half the amount was credit to his Uber account.