The residents of the Nepean Sea Road, Malabar Hill and Breach Candy upscale neighbourhoods directly connected to the Coastal Road exit are facing severe traffic congestion. The locals have blamed the BMC's “improper planning” and rampant indiscipline by motorists for the headache.
The residents are planning to stage a silent protest next week to draw attention to their grievances. “We are currently waiting for police permission. As soon as we receive it, we will arrange a silent gathering,” a local said.
Nigam Lakhani, a long-time resident, reminisced about his childhood in the area. “The space outside my apartment used to be peaceful, with no vehicles or honking, just the soothing sound of the Arabian Sea.” He continued, “Though the Coastal Road is impressive, it has disrupted our daily lives. Since its opening, residents are being constantly disturbed by the sound of vehicles and whistles of the traffic police, who struggle to manage the flow.”
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On Monday evening, the Free Press Journal visited the Coastal Road exit at Vatsalabai Desai Junction, also known as Haji Ali Junction, where the adjacent lane leads towards Nariman Point and Mantralaya. Traffic moving towards Mukesh Chowk, in the direction of the Nepean Sea Road, Malabar Hill, and Walkeshwar, remained heavily congested. The bottleneck, however, was not caused by an overwhelming influx of vehicles, but by malfunctioning signalling systems at the exit.
An on-duty traffic constable told the FPJ, “There are three signals here, with traffic from two lanes of the Coastal Road and one lane of Parsi General Hospital or Cumballa Hill, converging towards the Nepean Sea Road.” The cop explained, “The problem arises as these three lanes narrow down to two at the Nepean Sea Road and further reduce to one near Gangar Optician at the Warden Road. To prevent congestion, we rely on manual traffic signalling instead of automatic signals.” On Monday evening, traffic police, accompanied by two wardens, were seen toiling hard to manage the flow.
Delving deeper, a senior traffic official said that this traffic condition is referred to as a scissors in traffic terminology; where vehicles from two-three directions converge at a single point, creating potential collisions and confusion for motorists. “To mitigate this issue, we ensure that a traffic constable and a couple of wardens are always stationed at the location to ensure smooth flow,” said the official.
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The residents lamented that the persistent noise pollution has further added to their woes. Juzer Jasdanwalla, a local, said, “We used to see Tata Garden Park right outside. Now, all we hear is honking despite closing all the windows.” It becomes particularly unbearable during VVIP movements, which occur frequently here, as police use loudspeakers to manage traffic, said Jasdanwalla, bemoaning that they have become immune to the sound of whistles.
The locals further said that they have already raised the issue with the traffic police as well as the BMC, but continue to await for a positive response. Lakhani asserted, “The BMC has failed to properly plan the exit route. We even suggested creating a new route next to the tunnel exit that would allow vehicles to access Nepean Sea Road without causing disruption here.”
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Another issue at the exit point is the lack of discipline among motorists, which includes wrong-side driving and lane-cutting. Lakhani said, “Despite many signboards prohibiting U-turns, motorists attempt to take U-turns to avoid detours, leading to congestion at both ends.” In the absence of traffic constables, which is often the case, vehicles brazenly make U-turns, significantly blocking traffic; which means more honking, he added.
A senior BMC engineer, who is involved in the Coastal Road project, said, “All planning for the entry and exit points was done in consultation with the traffic department. The exit at the Amarsons Garden was established only after discussions with traffic officials. Till date, we have not received any congestion complaints.”