Mumbai: Traffic gets to normal pace due to upcoming Ganpati festival

The traffic situation on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) that connects Mumbai and Thane was reportedly traffic-free on Friday.

According to traffic officials, the traffic was smooth due to the upcoming Ganpati festival. Many heavy vehicles that travel on a day-to-day basis were not seen today (Friday), which could be one of the reasons for smooth vehicular movement. "But, since it’s Ganpati season and it’s a day before the weekend, people, especially Maharashtrians and Marathi-speaking ones, must have left for their natives for the celebrations," said a local traffic officer, who was on duty at a traffic point near Sion.

It was a miracle that on a Friday, I managed to reach my work on time, actually before time. I arrive before time because I leave early because no matter how early I leave, I always arrive at least an hour late due to bad traffic. But that was not the case today," said Snigdi Bhatnakar, a Mulund resident. According to her, the traffic movement was slow from Mulund to Dr. Ambedkar Road between the Sion and Dadar areas.

As per orders from the Mumbai Traffic Police, it is known that for Ganpati Immersion Days, from Day 1 to Day 9, entry of heavy vehicles on the road in greater Mumbai will be prohibited. The order has been issued, according to a Friday evening statement from Deputy Commissioner of Police Raj Tilak Roushan (Traffic).

Similarly, in other parts of the city, there were fewer disruptions to bottleneck traffic reported. In areas like Saki Naka, Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), and Western Express Highway (WEH), there was less traffic congestion reported.

However, in areas like Matunga flyover and Vile Parle, there were reports of minor traffic inconveniences due to truck breakdowns. Traffic authorities have claimed to have cleared the situation at both places before the vehicles started piling up.

Published on: Friday, August 26, 2022, 09:50 PM IST