Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai
Mumbai, Jul 1: Mumbaikars were left battling monstrous traffic jams on Monday morning as multiple electric buses of the BEST undertaking broke down at key city arteries, triggering severe snarls during peak hours.
The Eastern Freeway witnessed bumper-to-bumper congestion starting early in the day after a BEST electric bus broke down near Wadala, paralyzing traffic flow. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Mahesh Tawde confirmed that traffic had to be diverted through pothole-ridden service lanes, which only worsened the slowdown. “The entire stretch became a nightmare,” said Aneesh Shankar, a Chembur resident, who took over 90 minutes to reach his office in Nariman Point.
Adding to the commuter misery, two more electric buses reportedly broke down near Marine Drive, causing similar chaos in South Mumbai. Officials said that BEST authorities were ill-prepared to tackle the mechanical failures, resulting in massive pile-ups of vehicles across key corridors.
The situation was further exacerbated by the influx of VIP convoys and political followers into the city for the opening day of the monsoon session of the state legislature. Traffic movement around Mantralaya was halted between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. to allow a long line of VIP vehicles to pass, adding to public frustration.
Traffic Control Room sources confirmed widespread gridlocks across vital roads, including Santacruz-Chembur Link Road, LBS Marg in Kurla, Vikhroli-Jogeshwari Link Road, Bandra Reclamation Flyover, SV Road in Bandra, Mahim Koliwada, and Vakola Flyover. Despite moderate rainfall, the congestion remained severe well into the afternoon.
Irate citizens blamed the chaos on poor traffic management and lack of visible personnel. Naresh Valmiki, an IT professional from Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), said, “I was stuck on BKC Road for almost an hour. There were no traffic cops in sight. I reached home at 6:30 p.m. when I usually arrive by 5:15.”
The Kurla side of BKC, especially areas like Kapadia Nagar, Vinod Bhave Nagar, and Nav Pada, also reported gridlocks. While BKC Traffic Division claimed that the congestion was brief and linked to VVIP movement from Kherwadi, motorists painted a different picture, pointing to long-lasting delays.
In the western suburbs, Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road, particularly around Kailash Complex in Powai and Saki Naka, witnessed prolonged snarls. Police attributed the bottlenecks to spillovers from LBS Marg and claimed the situation was controlled by 7 p.m.
Despite efforts by the traffic police to downplay the severity, the city’s roads remained clogged for hours, with thousands of commuters caught in the chaos. The day's events have once again raised serious questions about Mumbai’s preparedness to manage breakdowns and rising vehicular congestion in a city that never stops.