With the Diwali festival fast approaching, the streets of South Mumbai have become congested with both vehicles and pedestrians flocking to the city's largest wholesale and retail markets for their shopping needs. This challenging situation was exacerbated by a moderate rainfall that occurred in South Bombay (SoBo) on Wednesday evening.
Rush at Crawford, Manish and Pydhonie market causes traffic snarls
Despite the rain, traffic police officials did not attribute the congestion solely to the weather but instead pointed to the pre-Diwali shopping rush, which they expect to subside by the coming weekend. An official from the Azad Maidan Traffic Division explained, "The primary sources of traffic build-up are the two major markets, Crawford and Manish Market, where citizens from various parts of the city are converging to make their Diwali purchases. Another bottleneck is the Pydhonie Market, where people come for Diwali firecrackers and fashion-related items. The slowdown in traffic at these points has a cascading effect, impacting the overall flow of vehicles, including those heading towards the CSMT junction, Mantralaya, and Nariman Point areas."
Careless parking adding to traffic woes
The situation was further exacerbated near the Fashion Street market on Maharshi Karve Marg, where buses, taxis, and private vehicles came to a standstill for over 25 to 30 minutes, causing additional disruptions at the CSMT circle-junction. According to traffic police officials, another significant contributor to the traffic woes is the presence of private vehicles and illegal parking at market areas. An official advised, "We encourage citizens to opt for public transport instead of relying on private vehicles. Unfortunately, many choose to use their private vehicles and park wherever it suits them, narrowing down the already limited road space and hindering traffic flow. Nevertheless, we anticipate that the congestion will gradually ease by Friday and Saturday."
Meanwhile, a substantial traffic jam was reported on Peddar Road, extending all the way to Worli Sea Face.
