Mumbai commuters stuck as heavy vehicles clog flyovers during rush hours

Mumbairsquos 55plus flyovers were built to ensure smoother traffic flow especially at signals and junctions but they are used by heavy goods trucks and buses even during the daytime making commuting on these overpasses especially on the Western and Eastern Express Highways a daunting experience during peak hours when motorists are stuck in bumpertobumper trafficHeavy vehicles hinder the flow of traffic on the Aarey Colony flyover during evening peak hours in Goregaon East on March 1 PICSATEJ SHINDEmidday recently conducted a test drive on both corridors to reveal that the extensive use of flyovers by outstation buses and goods carriers is causing congestion Citybased transport experts believe that easing congestion on arterial routes requires barring heavy vehicles from flyovers According to the traffic police the movement of heavy vehicles is restricted from 8 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 9 pmAn official from the transport department said ldquoAllowing slow heavy vehicles on steep flyover gradients during peak hours can reduce effective capacity mdash but legally unless notified otherwise they are permitted Restrictions where imposed are usually timebasedrdquoEastern SuburbsKanjurmarg flyoverBuses and goods carriers of various sizes are seen on the Kanjurmarg flyover PicRanjeet JadhavWhile traffic congestion on the Eastern Express Highway EEH is relatively lower than its western counterpart during a trio from Sion to Ghatkopar similar issues were witnessed Buses and small to mediumsized goods carriers were seen plying the Kanjurmarg flyover leading to congestion even as the lanes beneath remained largely empty Diverting buses goods carriers and other heavy vehicles to the service lanes below the flyover could ease congestion considerablyWestern SuburbsKalina Vakola flyoverDuring evening peak hours traffic slowed to a crawl on the flyover and approach lanes primarily due to the movement of goods carriers heavy vehicles and outstation buses It was also observed that the northbound lanes beneath the flyover were largely empty Diverting goods carriers outstation buses tempos and trucks onto these lanes could make a differenceDomestic airport flyoverThe flyover near the Mumbai airport PICRanjeet JadhavIn the northbound direction tempos small and medium goods carriers and buses could be seen using the flyover which appears to be a key reason for bumpertobumper traffic in this area during both morning and evening peak hoursAarey Colony flyoverThe Aarey Colony flyover in Goregaon on March 1 PICSATEJ SHINDEA visit during evening peak hours revealed that congestion on the flyover and its approach roads was caused by slowmoving goods carriers heavy vehicles and outstation buses In contrast the northbound lanes below the flyover were mostly vacantWhy has the problem increasedgtgt Rising no of construction vehicles equipment carrying trailersgtgt Rapid growth of ecommerce deliveries and logistics movementgtgt Increasing tanker traffic serving construction and fuel supplygtgt Rising number of private intercity bus operatorsTraffic coprsquos takeA senior traffic police official told midday that the issue is basically a network management problem ldquoOn the Western and Eastern Express Highways most flyovers are part of continuous highway corridors and we cannot arbitrarily stop trucks unless a formal restriction is notified If we suddenly block them without an order the decision does not stand legally and transport operators challenge itrdquo said the copldquoMany trucks plan their movement to coincide with the end of restriction hours which overlaps with peak commuter traffic From the driverrsquos perspective the flyover is the straightest route with fewer signals so they naturally choose it But when a loaded multiaxle vehicle climbs a gradient its speed drops sharply and cars accumulate behind itrdquo he added statingldquoDrivers prefer elevated roads because they psychologically expect them to be faster If we divert heavy vehicles car drivers may still crowd the flyover so management has to be planned carefully Also enforcement on long highway corridors requires manpower at every ramp and vehicles reenter at the next access point Without a notified policy officers on the road can only advise not compel anyonerdquoVoicesRatnakar Sawant Daily commuterlsquoI get stuck on the Western Express Highway daily largely due to the presence of tankers goods carriers longdistance buses and tempos The traffic police must enforce rules regarding such vehicles on flyovers which would help ensure smoother and faster movement of vehiclesrsquoShilpa Nair Airline employeelsquoThe airport flyover should be the fastest stretch but itrsquos actually the slowest We often see buses and tempos occupying both lanes and cars are trapped behind themrsquoSuggestions from expertsgtgt Peakhour vehicle segregationDivert trucks tankers and buses to surface lanesgtgt Ramplevel enforcementRestrict heavy vehicles at flyover entry rampsgtgt SignageElectronic boards can dynamically alter traffic flowgtgt Dedicated freight time windowsPermit goods vehicles to use flyovers freely during late night and offpeak periodsgtgt Bus routing managementDivert longdistance and contract buses via surface roads or designated corridorsLegal ViewArindam Mahapatra LawyerlsquoAt present regulation focuses on cityentry timings for trucks rather than on how different vehicle types should use different layers of road space during peak hours A parking area for trucks and buses could solve the traffic problems to a certain extentrsquoExpertrsquos CommentJagdeep Desai Architect academician foundertrustee and chairperson Forum for Improving Quality of Life in MumbailsquoWe have outsmarted traffic logic and norms and are paying the price We can only hope for damage control using noninfrastructure interventions Otherwise we will keep building flyovers and traffic will be stuck despite themrsquo