As per the study done by Bhobe Associates, consultants in infrastructure projects, a general growth of approximately 2.5% was estimated in the number of vehicles plying on Dr Ambedkar Road.
With a number of new flyovers to be opened in the coming few weeks, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, which connects the Eastern Express Highway right up to South Mumbai is set to become almost a double-decker road. However, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has not bothered to find out the latest database of number of vehicles plying on the road.
The state government has planned as many as five flyovers on Ambedkar Road which starts near the Suman Nagar Junction in Chembur and ends at Byculla, at the beginning of Mohammad Ali Road. These flyovers, according to MMRDA officials, were a part of close to 50 flyovers planned by the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the late 90s. “However, the flyovers project, which was ready on paper, took off only two years ago in 2008. Our agency decided to execute the project. By and large, we have done an excellent job in terms of schedule completion of the project,” said a senior MMRDA official.
As per the study done by Bhobe Associates, consultants in infrastructure projects, a general growth of approximately 2.5% was estimated in the number of vehicles plying on Dr Ambedkar Road. “The data compiled by the consultants is with a base of 2002. It has also given projections of vehicular growth in 2011,” said an official.
Four major junctions were included in the data, including the Bharatmata Junction, Hindmata Junction, Sion Hospital Junction and the Kings circle (Tulpule Chowk) Junction. As per the data, Sion hospital junction will be generating maximum traffic of 57,074 PCUs (Passenger Car Units) per day, followed by Hindmata Junction, which will have 42,209 PCUs.
When asked, MMRDA metropolitan commissioner Rahul Asthana agreed that a fresh study on number of vehicles plying on the road was necessary. “We will carry out such a study once all the flyovers are fully operational,” said Asthana.
UPS Madan, director of the Mumbai Transformation Support Unit (MTSU), however felt that those studies done by agencies before carrying out infrastructure projects are modified from time to time.
“In case of Dr Ambedkar Road, the traffic certainly has gone up and I am sure the agencies carrying out the work have taken it into consideration,” said Madan.
However, as per transport expert Ashok Datar, Mumbai Environmental Social Network (MESN), government agencies are not serious about compiling traffic-related data. “It is certainly not very difficult for these bodies to collect such data. After the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL) was opened, the MESN collated similar data on Mahim Causeway to gauge the impact of the sea link. Such data has to be collected on a yearly basis, similar to the way the weather observatory functions,” opined Datar.
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