JNPT wants cargo lane on proposed Virar-Alibaug highway

While traffic in Mumbai continues to crawl, the country's largest container port Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Navi Mumbai has demanded dedicated lanes for cargo traffic on the proposed Virar-Alibaug Multimodal Corridor. This is the result of a recent study conducted by JNPT that revealed that extensive traffic jams are causing the average speed of a truck travelling from JNPT towards Pune to be 18.66-kmph and from JNPT towards Vadodara to be 14-kmph, due to congestion at Bhiwandi and Kalamboli junctions that lead to Thane.

These traffic jams are resulting in a loss of time and money as around 55 per cent import traffic from JNPT goes towards Pune and Vadodara. Thus, the JNPT wants dedicated lanes for cargo on the proposed Virar-Alibaug Multimodal Corridor being constructed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

The 126-km-long multi-modal corridor between Virar and Alibaug can decongest the traffic of import-export cargo movement that takes place from JNPT.

A traffic study conducted by JNPT, says, "The truck/trailer traffic always slows down the average speed of traffic on highways... Separate lanes, preferably in the central area of the road, for heavy traffic should be introduced."

In a recent conference, officials from JNPT presented its problems to the MMRDA, wherein this particular study was presented.

While JNPT has demanded that central lanes of the Virar-Alibaug Multimodal Corridor be made available for cargo traffic, MMRDA has plans to construct a Metro corridor in the centre.

However, Sanjay Khandare, Additional Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA, said that catering to JNPT's demand won't be a problem. "We are anyway going to designate lanes for heavy cargo traffic on the Virar-Alibaug Multimodal Corridor."

JNPT handles 13,000 trucks daily wherein 7,000 trucks enter and exit for export and 6,000 trucks for import. 

According to the data provided by JNPT, out of the 7,000 trucks that come to JNPT for imported goods, 25 per cent go towards Vadodara, five per cent go towards Nashik and Nagpur, followed by 29 per cent towards Pune, 10 per cent towards Konkan and 31 per cent enter Mumbai.

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JNPT handles 13,000 trucks daily wherein 7,000 trucks enter and exit for export and 6,000 trucks for import