BMC, wake up: Stop accidents at Bandra station

While Swami Vivekananda Road already suffers from poor pedestrian infrastructure commuters now have a new problem At the junction where GR Varasakar Marg meets SV Road near the Bharat Petroleum petrol pump in Bandra a large metal lid placed over a sunken utility cover has become a daily hazard for ridersThe temporary lid has a smooth frictionless surface and sits about an inch above road level causing multiple twowheeler riders to skid and fall especially when the road is wetldquoIrsquove been raising this issue for weeks and no one has done anything Many people have fallen whether the lid is wet or dryrdquo said Mohmad Sameer a local resident He added that ongoing Metro construction has caused water pipeline leaks flooding the area and making the lid even more slipperyA car struggles to drive over the raised metal lidA gas station attendant Srimanth Kamble who witnesses the spot throughout the day said ldquoThere was an accident this morning on Friday We go out to help riders almost every dayrdquoTraffic police constables stationed at the junction echoed the concerns stating that they have repeatedly written to the BMC ldquoWe have sent multiple reminders but nothing has been done Since morning three accidents have already happened and thatrsquos the daily averagerdquo said one constable requesting anonymityOfficers said they have even tried temporary fixes themselves ldquoThe lid is huge and crooked Whenever it shifts we flag down a JCB and ask them to align it so riders donrsquot hit the dip underneathrdquo the constable addedA large visible gap forms between the road and the metal lid as it shifts out of place PicsSatej ShindeThey fear a more serious tragedy is inevitable ldquoOne day someone will fall and the vehicle behind them wonrsquot brake in time Someone could lose their life because the road isnrsquot maintained properlyrdquoMeerjahan Khan a local resident who uses the road daily said ldquoThe metal lid was placed because driving over the sunken utility cover had become difficult and uncomfortable But now because this lid is so smooth it acts like a bandaid on a bullet wound it does more harm than goodrdquoThe metal sheet placed over a sunken utility cover at the SV RoadndashGR Varasakar Marg junction in Bandra PicsMadhulika KavatturWhile this reporter was speaking to Khan a man on an Activa skidded on the metal lid and fell The slip was so severe that his fallen vehicle hit another riderrsquos twowheeler Fortunately the rider was not injured and those behind him managed to brake in timeAs the traffic cops had earlier told midday the lid keeps shifting By Friday evening it had moved even further exposing the sunken patch beneath This caused trouble for two cars mdash one driving over the lid had its tyre slip causing the vehicle to tilt and brush against the car next to itA large visible gap forms between the road and the metal lid as it dangerously shifts out of place PicSatej ShindeThe raised lid is also making it difficult for twowheeler riders who often struggle to climb onto it leading to small traffic jams forming behind them midday contacted BMC H West Ward but received no response till press time