|
Chembur traffic jams: RTO, Traffic dept to crack the whip Authorities will keep an eye on irregularities by private bus operators near N G Acharya Garden With private buses occupying two lanes-one for themselves and the other for autorickshaws, cabs, cars of their passengers-the busy four-lane national highway shrinks to a mere two-lane road ASHUTOSH PATIL T HERE is good news for the residents of eastern suburbs, specially those who have spent hours stuck in endless traffic jams in the SionChembur stretch. The Traffic Department of the Mumbai Police and the Regional Transport Office (Wadala) have finally heeded their repeated pleas and decided to combat the traffic menace in Chembur by curtailing irregular operations of private bus companies. More than five thousand passengers board or alight from some 400-450 private buses daily in Chembur, creating a major traffic snarl between 7 pm and 12 am. Private tourist buses heading to Pune, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka stop near N G Acharya Garden to pick up and wait for passengers. In spite of wide roads, traffic in Chembur either moves at a snail's pace or comes to a complete standstill, thanks to big luxury and Volvo buses stopping bang in the middle of the road, obstructing the rest of the traffic. Moreover, private bus drivers often behave rudely with the other passing motorists. With private buses occupying two lanes-one for themselves and the other for autorickshaws, cabs, cars of their passengers-the busy four-lane national highway shrinks to a mere two-lane road. This traffic bottleneck adds to the already high noise and air pollution in the area. Holiday season adds to the commuters' woes, as the frequency of buses increases at that time. "It takes 45 minutes to cover the 20 kilometre distance between CST to Sion and the same amount of time is wasted on this distance of 5 kilometers from Sion to Chembur," said Sanjay Mhatre, a resident of Navi Mumbai who has been driving to his office in CST for the last fifteen years. Traffic constables find it difficult to control the slow moving traffic and the numerous buses halting midway to pick up passengers. But now, traffic police and Regional Transport Office (RTO) authorities are gearing up to prosecute the traffic offenders. Shirish Tandalekar, senior inspector of Chembur traffic division, told Newsline, "We allow buses to halt on humanitarian grounds, as it is a very convenient spot for hundreds of passengers in the eastern suburbs. However, from now we will take strict action against private bus operators if they violate traffic rules." RTO officials, on the other hand, point out that many private bus companies operate without requisite contract carriage permits. Last year, between April 2006 and March 2007, RTO collected a fine of Rs 6,25,100 from them for violating various rules. URL : http://70.86.150.130/indianexpress/ArticleText.aspx?article=22_04_2007_523_005 |
