Uneven road at Ghodbunder results in five-year-old's death

Gap between old road and newly paved stretch causes bike to skid; fallen child run over by truck

A five-and-a-half-year-old boy, who was travelling with his parents, died when he fell off the bike after it hit an uneven patch at Ghodbunder Road and came under a passing truck. Dinu Behra, a local chai vendor, said, "It is only because of these potholes and uneven patches on the road that accidents happen. Every single day there are incidents of bikes skidding here. I have kept a basic first aid box now for these people."

Vikrant Das, the father of Vedant, said, "He was my only son and our life. We were going for Rakshabandhan. Near Kasarvadavali, there is a gap between the new road and the old one. I could not control my bike while going over the gap and it skidded, throwing Vedant on to the road when a tempo coming from behind ran over him," he said.

"The tempo driver immediately applied the brakes but it was too late. We rushed him to the nearby Vedant hospital where he was declared dead during treatment. My wife also suffered a serious injury and needs surgery to her hand and spine," he added.

Also Read: Mumbai: Fed up of potholes, Kalyan residents protest against civic bodies

The uneven patch of road on which Vedant Das's father's bike skidded

The Kasarvadavli police have arrested the tempo driver. Vikrant said, "This is not the tempo driver's fault. If the road was proper, my bike would not have skidded there."

Furious Thane residents are asking why authorities are turning a blind eye to this potentially deadly issue year after year.

Substandard material used in road construction is the major problem said residents. Jayant Pawar, a resident of Ghodbunder, said, "I can understand the stretch of road dug up for metro work being bad, but what about the rest of the road. If you know heavy vehicles are using the same road then isn't it the responsibility of the authority to keep a check on it regularly and fill up potholes. We are not saying rebuild the road immediately but at least fill potholes regularly. The flyover near Waghbil area is the worst. Large potholes create heavy traffic there. Traffic cops are helpless in such situations."

Also Read: Ambernath's shame: 5-km highway to hell killed 185 in 10 years

Potholes along the same stretch of road

Vblog of bad roads

Vishakha Fulsunge aka Ridergirl Vishakha, India's first female Motovlogger, said, "Well the other day I was riding from Badlapur to Wada on KTM Duke 390... And the journey was a pain, it took 3 hours, there were so many potholes which started after crossing Ambernath, so much traffic and the worst part was Bhiwandi road... it's a nightmare, 'Leh Ladakh Jane k time Itne khadde nai the kitne wo road pe'. I saw kids and oldies facing difficulty while crossing the road and walking. The sight was horrible to see.

Auto drivers pool in to fill potholes

Potholes that cover most of Ghodbunder Road in Thane

Auto rickshaw drivers from Dombivli who decided not to ply in pothole-riddled areas, contributed a small amount each to fill up 500 to 600 potholes in the Dombivli area on Friday. Ramesh Gaikwad said, "We contributed Rs 500 each and bought material to fill up potholes. Each of us took up an area and filled up the big potholes there which cause the most inconvenience. We have no option as we cannot stay without plying our autos. What will we eat if we
don't work?"

Aditya Thackeray gets a taste of his governance

Potholes that cover most of Ghodbunder Road in Thane

Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray, who was on a tour of Thane, on Friday, got stuck in traffic on the road filled with potholes. He told mid-day, "I faced a little traffic situation because a reporter who was taking a video had blocked a lane of traffic in order to stand on the flyover and record a video of my car passing over that patch."

He added, "But, I understand the inconvenience faced by locals due the potholes on that road. Our local unit has raised it time and again. There is also Metro work going on and a lot of heavy vehicles pass on it with heavy construction material. The inconvenience will remain for a while in both Thane and Mumbai. One particular flyover that has potholes in Thane, is under the PWD. We've raised it a few times, but I will also be raising it again with the minister."

 Also Read: Cop on duty avoiding pothole run over by truck in Ambernath

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