Mumbai: Rampant encroachments by hawkers and illegal parking have led to severe traffic congestion between Mantralaya and Free Press Journal Marg at Nariman Point.
This small stretch is in the heart of the city that houses several big commercial establishments. Besides traffic congestion, unauthorised hawkers make it a virtual nightmare for office-goers and others to move on the road.
Commuters shuttling between Nariman Point and CST–Churchgate are facing immense trouble due to these hurdles which ultimately results in them reaching work as well as home late.
The Metro III work, which is being carried out at the junction of Free Press Journal Marg and Vidhan Bhavan, is only adding to their woes.
Despite several complaints to the Traffic Police department and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities, no relief seems to be coming forth in the case. Taxi stands and roadside eateries are increasingly making it an unbearable stretch to travel to.
One of the commuters who regularly comes to Free Press House, the building that stands at the end of this stretch, from CST, said: “If encroachment by hawkers and illegal parking — at times double parking — are taken care of by the authorities concerned, it will certainly ensure smooth commute and we will be able to reach our destination before time.”
The actual running time in a BEST bus between Free Press House and CST is about 15 minutes, but due to traffic congestion it extends to almost 40 minutes.
It is high time that the traffic and BMC authorities work in tandem and jointly take initiative to clear the Free Press Journal Marg instead of passing the buck.
