Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - HT Navi Mumbai Live
Illegally parked buses choke road
Long- distance buses stop randomly on Sion- Panvel highway, putting passengers’ lives at risk
PANVEL: Illegal parking of long- distance buses on the Sion- Panvel highway to pick and drop commuters is putting passengers’ lives at risk.
The highway witnesses movement of ST, NMMT, BEST, Khapoli municipal council buses, MSRTC’s luxury bus Shiveneri and scores of other private l uxury buses every day.
Several bus stops have been built along the highway, which has been expanded recently to curb traffic congestion, to pick and drop commuters without creating hurdles in the smooth flow of vehicular traffic on the road.
Instead of parking buses at designated stops, several bus drivers illegally park vehicles along the highway to pick and drop commuters.
Ille gally p a rk e d buses are likely to be hit by speed- ing vehicles on the highway. Besides this, illegal parking of vehicles along the highway also leads to traffic jam.
Nandu Patil, a commuter, said “Many motorists are facing severe inconvenience due to illegal parking of buses along the highway. The traffic police hardly take action against bus drivers who illegally park buses along the highway.”
Patil said, “Despite a stop near the Kharghar railway station, bus drivers illegally park vehicles on the highway.”
When a s ke d about bus drivers’ negligent attitude, Panvel ST bus depot manager, Rajendra Pardeshi, said, “A meeting will be held with bus drivers in this regard. They will be asked not to resort to such malpractices.”
Around 10 buses were spotted illegally parked along the highway rather than bus stop near the Kharghar railway station even on Wednesday afternoon.
Illegal parking of buses on the highway, where street lights are often dysfunctional, is posing accident risks to commuters.
MOTORISTS FACE INCONVENIENCE DUE TO ILLEGAL PARKING OF BUSES ALONG THE HIGHWAY. THE TRAFFIC POLICE HARDLY TAKE ACTION AGAINST ERRANT BUS DRIVERS.
NANDU PATIL, a commuter