Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
Despite curbs, city sees traffic jams
MUMBAI: Despite restrictions by the state government amid the soaring Covid-19 cases and deaths in Mumbai, the vehicles on city roads are increasing, most often resulting in traffic jams at entry and exit points of the city as well as on some important arterial roads.
A Twitter user named Mehlman Kaku tweeted that at 9am on Friday, there was traffic on Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road, while two days ago, the closure of Phoenix Mills flyover led to traffic jam on southbound roads.
The traffic police, however, attributed the vehicular traffic to delivery vehicles and construction vehicles as well as infrastructure.
According to traffic police officers in south Mumbai, the maximum snarls are caused by two-wheelers. “Delivery boys on two wheelers are observed in this region since the past one month. There are no tourists as the Marine Drive promenade, Gateway of India and other attractions are closed for public,” said police inspector Mubarak Shaikh, in-charge of Colaba traffic chowky.
The police also said that as many hospitals are located in south Mumbai, people are travelling for vaccinations or to get admitted. Senior police officers said that the increase in traffic is also due to people travelling on their private four-wheelers as there are travel restrictions on local trains and BEST buses.
“Many are travelling to reach vaccination centres and drive in vaccinations,” said a senior officer.
The system of colour-coded sticker, introduced by the Mumbai Police to ensure the smooth movement of vehicles engaged in emergency and essential services during the ongoing restrictions was recently discontinued after the move to reintroduce the e-pass system for inter-state and inter-district movement was chalked out.