All gridlocked roads lead to Andheri

Spread over an area of around 47 sq km, Andheri has become the core axis for economic activities owing to significant growth of commercial and residential spaces. Dotted with commercial offices, multinational companies, business parks, production houses, shopping malls, it is one of the most vibrant and lively suburbs of the city.

However, the biggest bane for the suburb is its congested roads which prevent people from being on time.

One of the busiest suburban railway stations of the city, Andheri receives footfalls of 5-6 lakh, while the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro rail witnesses footfall of over 4 lakh commuters. Going by Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport's (BEST) claims, its buses ferry about 2-3 lakh people daily to Andheri station while an equal number of people rely on autorickshaws for their daily commute. The number of commuters has grown drastically over the years.

While the Metro rail work through the Link Road and Western Express Highway is under construction for almost two summers now, repair works on the road have made the situation worse. "Traffic at Andheri crawls due to the ongoing Metro and road repair works. Though the Metro connects areas like Juhu and Yari Road, we have to take an auto to the station which increases our commute time. The BEST buses can barely pick up speed due to dug up or blocked roads," said Pallavi Reddy, a resident of DN Nagar.

Andheri west and east have bus depots. While the frequency of buses is decent, their movement is slowed down by traffic snarls, leading to an ever-increasing queue of commuters. The station road is usually occupied by share and regular autorickshaws, which makes it difficult for vehicles to pass through.

"Owing to the serpentine queue at Andheri metro station, I prefer taking a bus or an auto. During peak hours, autos ply with more than three passengers. They breach traffic rules by lane cutting, jumping signals and honk constantly which gets irritating beyond a point," said Kaushal Dubey, a resident of Goregaon whose daily commute to his workplace at Andheri is no less than a struggle.

Travelling to the airport is another headache. "From Andheri station, we rarely get an auto to the airport. And if they do, they tend to overcharge especially if we have luggage," said K Sanghavi, a resident of Versova.

The roads are in a mess due to potholes and repair work. Taken over by hawkers and vendors, footpaths are almost non-existent. Commuters have to wade through the hawkers to reach their destinations.

MAJOR HURDLES

• Congested roads
• Share auto drivers not following traffic rules
• Footpaths encroached by hawkers
• Dug up and barricaded roads

CITIZEN CHATTER

Taking an auto rickshaw or bus from the railway station is of no use due to the ongoing work on the road. At many places, the roads have been dug and have been made into a one-way leading to traffic snarls
— Kaushal Dubey

What makes travelling more difficult is this heat. The government, in the name of infrastructure upgrade, is hacking trees one after other. Thus we don't have green cover if we decide to walk. Moreover, illegal parking has made the situation worse
— Nicolas Almeida

Even if we manage to get a rickshaw from the station, reaching office is a big task. It takes over 45 minutes which earlier used to take 15 minutes, thanks to road closures. Illegally parked trucks and buses which block space on the road
— Smita Bhingarde

There is a lot of inconvenience due to the ongoing work on metro rail and roads, but the fact is that it will help us in the near future. I feel that despite roads being dug up now, once the work is complete it will benefit and travel time will go down
— Mahavir Rambhia

COPS SPEAK

Earlier, barricades of metro rail work used to occupy 9 meters of the road. In the last few days, we have reduced its width at places where the pier work is complete so that more road space is available for motorists. We are taking strict action against errant rickshaw drivers. We have ensured that autos do not carry excess passengers especially those that ply from Andheri station.
— Siraj Inamdar, Police Inspector, DN Nagar Traffic Police

At present, we are taking help from local volunteers and traffic wardens to monitor and man vehicular traffic. There are few diversions especially near Saki Naka and towards Andheri Kurla Road as an old road over bridge has been shut down recently  which has led to traffic congestion.
— Jaywant Sankpal, Police Inspector, Saki Naka Traffic Police

EXPERT OPINION

Andheri is one of the most crowded areas of Mumbai with most IT companies conducting operations here. However, mobility of people has become a major issue due to pathetic road condition, encroachment on footpath by hawkers and hutments, and uneven roads. It has become a nightmare for motorists and pedestrians due to perpetual traffic jams. Compounding the problem are the ongoing work taken up by BMC and metro rail work.
— Godfrey Pimenta, local activist