Mumbai: Borivli shopkeepers shut 2,000 shops to protest barricaded crossings

For the first time in 40 years around 2000 shops in Indraprastha Shopping Centre and Thakkar Shopping Centre located on SV Road shut down for three hours to protest against the BMC traffic police and Borivli cops for barricading 12 pedestrian crossings outside Borivli railway stationThe authorities claim the barricades have helped reduce traffic on the SV Road stretch However shopkeepers told midday that lakhs of passengers use these crossings daily to access platforms no 2 and no 3 via Indraprastha Shopping Centre and the barricades must be removed immediatelyA massive crowd of shopkeepers from Borivli East and West joined the protest rally Just a month ago the BMC along with the police blocked 12 crossings with railings Shopkeepers say the situation worsened after the crossing in front of Indraprastha Shopping Centre mdash used by lakhs of commuters mdash was barricadedOfficial SpeakDCP Sandeep Jadhav Zone XI told midday ldquoWe received multiple complaints about heavy traffic on SV Road outside Borivli railway station mdash from Jambli Gully to Chandavarkar Road We held a meeting with the BMC and decided to barricade 12 crossings along this stretch using railings We also barricaded the crossing in front of Indraprastha Shopping Centre which many people were usingBarricades installed by the authorities with policemen standing guardJadhav asserted that the authorities understand it is initially difficult to adjust to the change but people will get used to it in two to three monthsrdquo Traffic has already reduced by almost 6070 per cent due to these barricades We feel shopkeepers should wait for a little more time Their customers are not going anywhererdquo he saidldquoIf we reopen these crossings traffic will increase again Earlier even emergency vehicles would get stuck here We donrsquot want anyone to suffer The barricade near Indraprastha Shopping Centre was installed just a week agordquo Jadhav addedShopkeepers sayLalit Jain chairman of Borivali Businessmen Association BBA and shop owner at Indraprastha Shopping Centre said ldquoMore than 2000 shops shut down for three hours on Wednesday morningThe road was seen relatively trafficfree after the barricadingThese barricades must be removed because Indraprastha Shopping Centre also provides entry and exit to platforms no 2 and no 3 How will customers reach us if they come by bike or car They have to take a Uturn almost 300 metres away near Borivli police station which is not possible for everyonerdquoWhat shopkeepers are demandinggtgt Reopen all crossings from Jambli Gully to Chandavarkar Roadgtgt Crossings should be at least 2feetwide for easy movementgtgt Allow twoway traffic from LT Road to SV Roadgtgt Regular police and BMC presence to prevent hawkers from encroachinggtgt Action against hawkers passing lewd comments on womengtgt To make the station area a hawkerfree zonegtgt Maintain discipline in autorickshaw queuesWhat authorities say about movegtgt The barricades will not be removedgtgt Traffic has reduced by nearly 6070 per centgtgt Action is being taken against hawkersgtgt People need 23 months to adapt to alternative routesgtgt Traffic police officials deployed taking action against illegal parking on SV RoadlsquoRemove the barricadesrsquoShopkeepersVinod Gada secretary BBAlsquoWe are losing customers due to these barricades Senior citizens are facing difficulties The BMC and police should take action against illegal hawkers who are causing a nuisance in the arearsquoMukesh Mehta president Borivli Businessmen AssociationlsquoPeople catch their trains on time because Indraprastha Shopping Centre is a shortcut to the station We want the barricades removed and crossings reopenedrsquoAmit Makhija owner Smart Guys MenswearlsquoWe demand proper planning In the last 40 years this is the first time we shut our shops and protested Barricades are affecting businessrsquoLocalsShivraj ManjrekarlsquoI travel by bike daily on this route It is always prone to traffic jams but now this road is trafficfree Itrsquos good decision by the BMC and policersquoPratik KedarlsquoThe BMC and traffic cops took the correct decision by blocking the crossings I travel by fourwheeler and would always get stuck in traffic for at least 1520 minutes to cross this SV Road stretch Now it hardly takes 5 minutes The station area should always be kept trafficfreersquoViraj GhanekarlsquoI used to park my bike at Indraprastha Shopping Centre and go to office by train Itrsquos difficult to enter Indraprastha due to the barricades and now I end up wasting time looking for alternate parking spacersquo