Ever since the monsoon commenced, Mumbai has been witnessing massive traffic snarls. Even a drizzle is enough to disrupt the city's vehicular movement. On Wednesday again, motorists had a tough time reaching their destinations as heavy rains lashed the city. “It took me three hours to drive down from Malad to Churchgate. It was simply hellish,” said commuter Pratik Shah. Potholes and absence of traffic cops at most places added insult to injury.
Traffic holds up ambulances
The “bad” traffic situation near the Lilavati Hospital even held up several ambulances ferrying patients. At Hiranandani Gardens in Powai, the waiting time extended for hours. The Western Express Highway (WEH), which straddles between Bandra and Dahisar, experienced severe bidirectional traffic jams, starting from Andheri and all the way up to Santa Cruz. “You cannot simply blame the wet weather as there was not much rainfall at the WEH in the morning. It took me more than 1 hour and 45 minutes to cover a distance of 8 km. Bad roads and absence of traffic cops are to blame for the problem. This situation persisted even before rains,” said commuter Sudheesh Surya.
Motorists ride their vehicles through flooded road outside Dockyard Road station | Salman Ansari
Another motorist, Jignesh Jaykant, said the authorities and politicians are responsible for the menace. “Don't blame the rains. It's not like they did not know rain arrives in July! These elected representatives are running for posts and not bothered about us. Look at potholes everywhere, it's like craters on the moon.”
Poholes and waterlogging annoy commuters
At the SV Road in Jogeshwari West, motorists complained about potholes and waterlogging. “After paying so much tax, we get huge potholes. Near the Ajit Glass Factory signal in Oshiwara, potholes are so bad that one wrong manoeuvre and you will have a bone-breaking fall. It's especially dangerous for two-wheeler vehicles,” said a Oshiwara resident.
Andheri subway submerged in water | Vijay Gohil
The Andheri subway, infamous for shutting down in minimal rainfall, was closed again on Wednesday. Traffic authorities said the move was resorted to as water reached up to 1.5-2 inches. Subsequently, traffic was diverted to the already-congested SV Road.
People wade through flooded road at Byculla | Salman Ansari
At the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road, huge potholes near the L&T flyover at Milind Nagar slowed down traffic all the way till Andheri Seepz and Eastern Express Highway. Meanwhile, heavy traffic was reported near the Labour Camp, Matunga. “It took me 20 minutes to cross just 1 km. I helplessly sat in my car,” said motorist Ranjeet Dubey.
People wade through flooded road at Mumbai Central | Salman Ansari
