Day 3 of 2km-red line sees lesser vehicles
For the third consecutive day, massive traffic jams were witnessed on the Western Express Highway (WEH) and Easter n Express Highway (EEH) on Tuesday, as Mumbai Police enforced the '2 km radius rule'.
The traffic police impounded 1,879 vehicles on Tuesday in a crackdown on errant violators, resulting in a slower traffic movement between Dahisar and Malad. The congestion, however, was comparatively less than that reported on Monday, as the check points were moving.
According to the data acquired from the city traffic department, over 1,879 vehicles were impounded on Tuesday, which included 128 autos, 70 taxis, 352 private cars & 1,329 motorcycles at 32 checkpoints deployed across the city. A senior traffic official said, the less number of vehicles impounded was a result of an extensive and stringent crackdown of the previous couple of days. In a collective crackdown on Sunday and Monday, the city police had impounded a total of 23,366 vehicles.
While issuing the new guidelines on Sunday, restricting all types of movement within the two kilometres of radius and only exempted essential services workers, office goers and medical emergencies, the Mumbai Police had warned that anyone found violating the norm would be booked and their vehicle would be impounded compulsorily.
The extensive impounding of vehicles also resulted in roadblocks, as these seized vehicles were parked along the WEH, EEH, below the bridges and on roads in the interior parts as well.
Rajesh Ashar, stock broker, who travels daily from Jogeshwari to Lower Parel, as a part of the essential service workers, witnessed the cars parked in two lanes on the road, leading to an unwanted congestion.
Moreover, the relaxation of lockdown restrictions has also ushered in many private vehicles with hardly any public transport available. Ashar said, "These cars were not parked a day before, which clearly indicates that these vehicles were the ones impounded in the city police's drive. Ever since the 'unlock' has begun in the city, it has added a good one hour's travel time one way due to traffic snarls."