Traffic police go ahead for repair of more roads

With the Mumbai traffic police giving 'No Objection Certificate' (NOC) to the BMC and the MMRDA for repairing 243 more roads, the total number of roads that would now be rendered useless to motorists will go up to over 1,000. This, no doubt, will add to the existing chaos on roads, and the laxity in completing the work in the given time-frame is an additional burden road-users will have to bear.

Traffic cops had earlier said that more than 730 arterial roads in the city were undergoing some kind of repair or the other.

Dr. BK Upadyay, joint commissioner of police (traffic), said: "We have given NOC to repair 243 roads. These roads are in very bad conditions and will become a nuisance during the monsoon. We have asked the authorities concerned to completed the work before the rainy season to enable smooth movement of traffic."

Motorists do have a tough time when roads are being repaired. But what about the common road users? Actually, they suffer more, being subjected to blaring horns, dust and noise, day after day. Tushar Shah, a Sion resident, said: "The road outside Cinemax has been dug up for several months now. The work seems to be never ending and the heavy dust it generates is giving us hell. Nobody knows when the work will be completed either."

Pratap Dighavkar, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), said: Several projects are being carried out simultaneously. Flyovers are being constructed, and excavation and repair works are going on at several places. We have asked them to complete them before the monsoon."

Many motorists have now switched to trains to avoid getting delayed and burning excess fuel at traffic jams. Bhavin Parekh, a Borivli resident said: "I used to travel by car as it is very convenient. But these days, it takes hours to get out of a traffic jam. Almost everyday I get stuck at Kherwadi where a flyover is being constructed, and sometimes, it takes hours to get out of a traffic jam. So I have switched to trains, as I now have no option."

According to Dighavkar, there is no escaping from these works. They have to be carried out some time or the other, and the earlier, the better.

People can only hope and pray the work gets completed in the stipulated time.