On Tuesday afternoon, the traffic was slow on the Western Express Highway and near the Santacruz airport because of VIP movement. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was in the city to inaugurate the Indian Navy’s warships (see page 2).
The Mumbai traffic police on its Twitter handle, @MTPHereToHelp, informed the citizens and gave a one-day notice of the visit and the possible areas where traffic would be slower than usual. “Due to a planned VIP movement between 11 am and 3 pm, May 17, 2022, traffic will be slow around Santacruz Airport, University, Amar Mahal, Chheda Nagar, Freeway and Yellow Gate. Citizens are requested to plan their commute accordingly,” the Mumbai traffic police had tweeted.
While some citizens appreciated the prior notice, others complained about the regular traffic chaos on highway tolls of Mulund, Vashi and Dahisar. Some also vented their frustration, saying how the common man has to face traffic due to VIP visits. According to the traffic control department, the VIP visit slowed down the traffic after noon but was back to normal before 3 pm.
